The Case of the Missing Detective
by kaleen1212
Summary: Ironside receives a letter from a little girl in a wheelchair, asking for his help. With no last name on the note, his only clue is the note came from Gold Strike, CA, where a friend of his left his cabin to Ironside after he was murdered. When his kidnapper is arrested for the murder of his wife, Ironside's brother, Perry Mason defends him despite Ironside's objection.
1. Chapter 1

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 1

Robert T. Ironside sat in his wheelchair drinking his morning cup of coffee, waiting for his staff to arrive. In front of him was a letter that his aid, Mark Sanger had given him with the rest of the morning mail.

Usually, the former Chief of Detectives left the mail for Officer Eve Whitfield. She would go through it, answer the ones that did not need his attention, and bring the rest to him to go over. He would instruct her as to what he wanted done with them.

This morning, however, this particular envelope had caught his attention. It was in a child's printing. Ordinarily, he would still have had Eve take care of this, but the small wheelchair stamp had stood out.

Ironside had opened the envelope and read the little girl's message.

 _Dear Chief Ironside,_

 _I am writing to you because I do not know what else to do. I have seen you on TV when you helped our President. So I thought maybe you could help me. My mommy says I am special because I was born with a spine problem. Like you, I cannot walk. But now_ _,_ _they tell my mommy and daddy that if I have what they call an operation, I could walk again. But_ _,_ _they say I am not important enough to have it. Daddy says that it would take someone very_ _, very_ _important that could get the newspapers to cover my problem._

 _I know you are a busy man. Mommy says you would not come here and tell my doctors that I am important too, even though you are in a wheelchair_ _,_ _and people listen to you. I want to walk, Chief Ironside. They will not talk to anyone on the phone_ _, including mommy & daddy_ _. They must come in person. Would you be willing to come and help me_ _?_ _They say this is a secret operation_ _,_ _so they will not talk to you on the phone._

 _Please come, Chief Ironside._

 _Your friend, Amy_

Ironside read the letter again. It most certainly was in the printing of a child. The post mark Gold Strike, California. That was near the Sierra Mountains. He wondered why the letter had not come from her parents. Maybe they didn't know that Amy had sent it.

Ironside just sat there staring at the letter. He knew how much he hated being in a wheelchair, but at least he had spent most of his life on his feet. This little girl had never known what it was like to walk, let alone run and play. He knew he had already made up his mind to help her.

The door to the office opened. Sergeant Ed Brown and Officer Eve Whitfield came down the ramp. Ironside glanced at his watch, which brought out a smile from both of them. The chief was checking to see if they had entered on time. Not that it mattered; they both worked so many extra hours that their boss would never really get after then for coming in late, but he would not pass up an opportunity to make a remark or gesture about their tardiness.

Ed and Eve stopped at the kitchenette as Mark handed each of them a cup of coffee. He wondered how he got anything done when he spent so much of his time making pot after pot of coffee to keep his fellow co-workers loaded with caffeine.

Ed and Eve sat down at the table beside their boss. Eve studied him for a moment and said, "You have that look."

Ironside turned his head toward her and responded, "What look?"

"That look of puzzlement. Like there is something you are trying to figure out."

The chief turned his head towards Ed. "So what's your two cents?"

"Well if it is worth two cents... "

"It won't be," Ironside interrupted with a scowl on his face.

"I was about to say that you have that look like you are about to involve us in something when we already have a full case load."

"Sergeant Brown, one of the reasons you were assigned to this office was because you are supposed to be able to handle multiple cases at once. Is one more case more than you can take on?" the gruff chief asked.

"No, sir. We can always handle another case," Ed said quickly.

Ironside looked back at Eve. "And what about you?"

Eve was able to say things to the chief that Mark and Ed could not. "Well, Chief, we are already working a lot of overtime. Can't another department handle this new case?"

"I am glad you both agree with me," the chief said, ignoring Eve," because something has come up." Ironside waved his empty coffee cup in the air at Mark.

Sanger shook his head. "You want another cup of coffee." Ironside grinned. Mark got up, went to the kitchen and returned with the pot of coffee that was now half gone. He poured the black brew into his boss's cup and watched him take a sip before continuing.

Picking up the letter, Ironside handed it to Ed. "I received this in the mail today."

Ed read the letter and then handed it to Eve. When she finished, she picked up the envelope and turned it over. There was no return address on it. Eve waved it at Ironside. "This is the new case you want us involved in?"

"That's right," he replied.

Ed took the envelope out of Eve's hand. With a puzzled look on his face, he looked up at the chief. "There isn't any return address on this envelope"

Mark read the letter, checked the envelope and then handed it back to Eve.

"Chief, I don't understand. The girl only signed her first name. And with no return address, how are we supposed to find her?" Ed asked his boss.

"Sergeant, correct me if I am wrong, but you are a sergeant of detectives, aren't you?" Ironside said with sarcasm.

Eve grinned at Ed's discomfort as he sank in his chair.

"You have to be kidding. No way! I never want to go back there," Mark complained looking at the post mark.

"Back where?" Eve grabbed the envelope and studied the post mark. "Wait a minute. Chief, isn't this near where your friend, Ore, lived?"

"It is," replied Ironside.

Ironside thought back to the time Mark had driven him up to Gold Strike to visit his friend. They ran into Marshal Douglas who told them that he didn't think Ore was there, and offered to send a man up the mountain to let him know that Ironside had arrived. He said Ore was away hunting.

Ironside had thought it was strange that his friend had just had surgery, and would be out hunting as the marshal had suggested. He decided to have Mark drive there anyway.

When they arrived, the cabin was a mess. It looked like it had not been cleaned or inhabited in a while. Outside, Ironside discovered a pile of rocks that had been moved recently. He had Mark move them and discovered a grave. The chief sent Mark into town to get the marshal.

In the meantime, Charles Huff and his son, George, took Ironside prisoner when they realized the detective was not going to stop until he found out what happened to his friend. They had tried to get Ore to sell his property so that a major highway could be constructed through it. After Ore's death, they did not want anything to interfere with the sale of the property, which they had forged.

The marshal arrested Mark and told him he was going to charge him with the murder of his boss, when they return to Ore's place and could not find Ironside.

Ironside attempted to escape by climbing out a window and crawling to an old truck, but was recaptured by George and the marshal.

He eventually outsmarted them, and Charles Huff found out his son and the marshal killed Ore. The men were unsuccessful in trying to make a deal with Ironside.

"Chief, that is the last place I want to return to," Mark complained, bringing Ironside out of his private thoughts.

The chief ignored his aid. "Ed, I want to know who this little girl is, and Eve you check on what hospital procedure she is talking about. I want to talk to her parents."

"Chief," Ed said reluctantly, "is this really something we should be involved in? The commissioner is not going to like..."

"Is not going to like what?" Commissioner Randall said, as he came into the office. He walked down the ramp and joined Ironside at the table. He looked directly at his top detective and repeated, "What am I not going to like?"

Ironside handed him the letter from the girl. After reading it, Randall sighed. "Please tell me you are not going to go traipsing up there to find out what procedure this kid is talking about."

"Dennis, she is not a kid. A kid is a baby goat. She is a little girl, and she is asking for my help."

Randall was certain that his friend was sensitive to the fact that she was in a wheelchair. He understood how much he hated being in one himself, but he simply could not afford to have his best detective out of town again so soon after the trial in Los Angeles. He had been patient with that one, as it was his son that was on trial for murder. This time Bob did not know the girl, and she was not from San Francisco. "Look it up in the dictionary, Bob. The word can also be used to describe a child or a young person."

"Dennis, I don't need a lesson in the meaning of the word. She has asked for my help, and I intend to help her."

"Be reasonable, Bob, you don't even know who she is or where to find her."

Ironside shook his head. "We are detectives, aren't we?"

"San Francisco detectives," Randall reminded him. "I will not sanction you or your staff to leave town again. We have had three banks robbed in the last two weeks, and I want you to take over the case."

"Let the FBI handle it," Ironside snarled, "it is their jurisdiction."

"Because San Francisco has a famous detective, they are going to let us handle it. The city council wants you on the case. Several banks have lost thousands of dollars. No, Bob, forget that letter and do your job here. That's an order." Randall got up and left the office.

"Well, I guess that takes care of that," Eve said. "Shall we get started on the bank robberies?"

"No, that's not that," Ironside said. "Get Jimmy Smith on the phone. I want Carl Reese and Fran Belding assigned to this office immediately."

XXXXX

"Perry, you have to do the mail. It hasn't been touched since we started the Duvalier trial." Della Street set the stack of mail down in front of her boss.

"I thought you had David Gideon answer the mail," Mason protested.

"He did what he could do. The rest of it you have to do. It will only take us about an hour."

Mason pushed the mail away from him. "There must be something more important that needs our attention."

Della was insistent. She pushed the stack of mail back in front of him. "One hour. It cannot wait any longer. I have gone through it. The most important pieces are on the top."

"Well, then let's do the most important, and the rest can wait," he suggested.

"How about we do it all?" Della said.

Mason frowned and sat down in the chair behind his desk. "Alright, Della, you're the boss. He grabbed the top envelope and pulled out its contents.

The phone on the desk rang. Della pushed the speaker phone. "Yes, Gertie."

"Lieutenant Tragg is here to see Mister Mason. He knows he does not have an appointment, but he is insisting on seeing him. I don't think he will take no for an answer."

Before Della could say anything, Perry grabbed the stack of mail and stuffed it into the desk drawer. "Send him in, Gertie." Perry looked at Della and grinned. "Well, we can't keep our esteemed lieutenant waiting while we do the mail, now can we?"

Della shook her head and headed to Mason's office door. She opened it just as Tragg walked in. He smiled at her and said, "Hello, Della."

"Lieutenant. It is nice to see you."

"I am not sure you will think so when you find out why I am here." He walked over to Perry who offered his hand. Tragg shook it. "Good morning, Perry."

"Hello, Tragg. What can I do for you?"

"You can stop discovering dead bodies for one thing and hiding murder suspects for another."

"As an officer of the court, I am bound by law to report them when I find them. And who am I supposed to be hiding?"

"Don't act innocent with me, Mason. Where is Lawrence Bradley?"

"Well, I assume he is at home," he answered.

"Listen, if you are hiding him in some hotel under his own name, it won't work. I don't want to charge you with harboring a murder suspect, but I will if that is what you are doing."

"When did he become a murder suspect?"

"When his fingerprints were found on the murder weapon. Don't do it, Perry. He is not worth risking your practice. He killed his wife."

"I thought the police said it was a robbery," Della said.

"That is what your client wanted us to think. He was not at the bar he claimed to be. We could not find a single witness to corroborate his story."

"You must have more than that," Perry said, fishing for information.

"Oh, we have a lot more than that, but I am not going to give away the prosecution's case."

"You have until five o'clock today to surrender Bradley, Perry. After that, I will have no choice but to charge you with harboring a fugitive."

"Be careful, Tragg. You better be able to prove that I know where he is or you will open yourself up for a lawsuit," Mason warned.

"Oh, I would not worry about me. You better worry about turning your client in." Tragg tipped his hat to Della, turned and left Mason's office.

"Della, get Paul on the phone."

Della went immediately to the phone. She picked up the receiver and dialed a number long ago memorized. She waited a moment and then said, "Is Mister Drake in? Mister Mason would like to speak with him... Thank you, I will tell Mister Mason."

Della addressed her boss immediately after hanging up the phone. "Paul is on his way over. He has some information on the case."

Perry nodded. "Della, will you get me the Bradley file out of my brief case, please?"

Della went into the law library. Mason's brief case was sitting on the table. She opened the case, searched it until she found the correct file. Removing it, she headed back into Perry's office. She set it down in front of him on the desk. "Here it is."

"Thank you, Della." Mason opened the manila jacket and began reading it to refresh his memory, not that it was really necessary, but he didn't want to miss anything.

The familiar code knock on Mason's private entrance sounded. "That would be Paul," Della said as she got up and went to the door. She opened it and the tall, handsome private detective walked into the office.

"Hello, Beautiful," Paul said with a smile.

"Good morning, Paul," she responded.

"I was about to call you, when I got your call. You are not going to like what I have found out." He walked over and sat in his favorite chair, sitting sideways and throwing both legs over the arm. He pulled his notebook out of his suit coat pocket.

"Just a minute, Paul. We just had a visit from Lieutenant Tragg. He has a warrant out for Lawrence Bradley's arrest. He is charging him with the murder of his wife, Karen."

"He would look like a fool if he did not. The police have the murder weapon. They found it in the back of his car. It was a bookend. His prints were all over it, and the blood on it matched the wife's type. They are sending it out for DNA testing. This is one you better walk away from, Perry. Your client is guilty."

"We have been there before and found logical explanations for this type of evidence," Mason said. "It could have been planted."

Paul shook his head. "They have broken his alibi and they have a witness that saw him leave the house right around the time the murder was committed."

"Anything else?" Perry asked.

"A couple things. First, I have not been able to find out what the police have, but I did find out they have some iron-clad evidence. Whatever it is, Burger is hoping you take the case and plead him not guilty."

"No idea at all?" Mason asked.

Paul shook his head. Burger put a lid on it. The attorneys in his office have been told that if they leak it, they will be fired."

"Okay, what's the other thing?" Perry asked.

"Burger supposedly has proof that you know where Bradley is. If you don't produce him by tonight, he will swear out a warrant for your arrest."

With a surprised look on his face, Mason asked his private detective, "What proof could he possibly have? I haven't a clue where he is."

"I don't know. I have been unable to find out what he has," Paul responded.

"He has nothing," Perry said angrily. "I don't know where he is." Turning to his secretary, Perry commanded, "Della, get Hamilton Burger on the phone."

Knowing Perry Mason the way she did, she knew better than to question him when he was this angry. She moved immediately to the phone.

"Paul, I need you to find Lawrence Bradley," Mason said.

"I knew you would. I have several men on it."

"Perry, I have Mister Burger on the phone," Della announced.

Perry took the receiver out of her hand. "Hamilton," Mason said but was immediately interrupted by Burger.

"Unless you are calling to tell me where Bradley is, I see no reason for this phone call," Burger said, his voice short.

"I don't know where he is, Hamilton," Perry said.

"Right. Just like you didn't know where all those other clients were that you sent to hotels to register in their own names," Burger snarled.

"I am telling you the truth. I don't know where he is, but I have put Paul and his men on it. As soon as we locate him, I will talk him into surrendering to Tragg."

"Get off it Mason, we know you know where he is, and if you don't turn him over to us by five o'clock, I will have a warrant sworn out for your arrest."

The anger within him was rising. "Go ahead, Hamilton, and you will have a suit file against you, your office and Tragg and his office. I am telling you that I don't know where he is. I have Paul on it, and you will know as soon as I do where he is." Mason slammed the phone down in the receiver with such a force, Della was sure it would break.

"Find him, Paul," Mason said.

"You want to talk to him when I do?"

"No, I am not going anywhere near him until he is picked up by Tragg. If you find him, tell him to keep his mouth shut or he will be looking for another lawyer."

XXXXX

Lawrence Bradley looked at the little girl in the wheelchair, his heart breaking. Why wouldn't these damn doctors see her. They could help his little girl. They just wanted the big bucks. They cared nothing of the people they were sworn to treat. If he had been a wealthy man, then they would have seen her right away.

His construction business had been a booming business for years, but that was all in the past. Too many large construction companies had moved into Los Angeles. The got all the business now. It did not matter what he bid on jobs; they could always beat his bid. They had several projects going on at a time, unlike his company. He was lucky if he had one. Over the years, he had been forced to lay off most of his men. Now, he ran a skeleton crew, barely enough men to finish the small jobs that came his way.

The medical bills poured in over the years, and Bradley barely kept his head above water. He never gave up trying to find a doctor for Amy. He believed in his heart that there had to be a procedure out there somewhere that would help his daughter to walk again. To be told that this new procedure had an eighty per cent chance of putting her on her feet, and then to be told that she didn't qualify because the lousy insurance he had would not pay for it, was infuriating. How could they deny a ten-year-old girl?

There was one man that could understand. He had tried to contact him four different times, but no one in the police department would put him through to Chief Robert T. Ironside. Larry knew from everything he had read about the famous detective, that he had been shot by an assailant. It was the reason he now was confined to a wheelchair. Ironside had not let his handicap stop him. To think he was still a member of the San Francisco Police Department and solving crimes was amazing. Nothing seemed to stop the detective. Yet, Larry had been told by Perry Mason that Ironside hated being in a wheelchair. Mason would know since it had been announced some time ago that the two men were half-brothers.

Bradley had to see Ironside. The man had a reputation for being tough and unyielding. He had not even considered approaching him until Mason had told him that Ironside had a soft side for kids. Bradley had every intention of appealing to that soft side to influence Ironside to help him get the procedure that could allow his little girl to walk for the first time in her life. The fact that he was in a wheelchair was a god send. Larry felt guilty about his elation to that fact, but of all people, Ironside would understand what his daughter went through every day. At least he knew what it was like to be able to walk, something most people took for granted.

Bradley was sure when Ironside met his daughter, he would be willing to help. He was not sure exactly what the detective could do, but he was going to do everything he could to get his attention. When his phone calls had failed to get through to the former chief of detectives, he had to find another means of contacting him. He didn't understand why the police would not put his call through to the man. Larry knew he was famous and in big demand, but people should be able to call him.

So, he did the the only thing he could think of; he went straight to the San Francisco Police Department. When he told his story to the detective at the duty desk, he refused to allow him to see Ironside. The officer had suggested he call his congressman, something he had already tried to no avail. All of these setbacks only served to make him more determined to find a way to talk to Ironside.

That was when he came up with the idea. His wife, Karen, had been dead set against what he had planned to do. They had a violent argument. Larry had accused her of not caring that Amy had a chance to walk again. He told her she was satisfied to see their little girl in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Karen, for the most part, blamed him for her condition. The doctors had told them her condition was hereditary, and since one of Larry's nieces had the exact same spinal problem, it was obvious which side of the family contributed to it. Karen faulted him for not telling her about his niece. Larry had wanted more children, but he had been unable to convince her to have anymore. It had been a major strain on their marriage and they argued about it often.

Only lately had Larry admitted to himself that the marriage was all but over. He still loved Karen, and believe that she loved him as well, but both of them stopped trying. It seemed they could not have a conversation that did not end up in a huge argument.

So, he came up with a new plan to lure Ironside. Larry had read about his friend, Ore. He had even gone to the man's old shack. It was here that he came up with a plan. Larry sat down at the dust-covered table and scribbled the letter that would eventually lead Ironside to him. He was a detective after all. He was certain the letter would pull at the Chief's emotions, enough to want to help Amy. He did not sign her last name. That combined with the fact that he sent the letter from the town closest to where his friend, Ore lived... Gold Strike, would stir the inquisitive nature of the detective.

He looked over at Amy who was sleeping on the bed in Ore's shack. The wheelchair in which she spent so much time was pulled tight to the bed. Larry sat down in the chair at the table. He put his head in his hands. The last fight he had with Karen was still torturing his mind. She had objected to his plan to get Ironside to help Amy. She had forbid him to take and bring her here to the Sierra Mountains. Larry still regretted knocking her to the floor when she grabbed Amy's wheelchair, refusing to allow him to leave with her. He had lost his temper, and for the first time in his life, he had hit her. She fell to the floor, hitting her head on the coffee table. Larry Bradley bent down, checked his wife. She was breathing normally and her pulse was strong. He had only been knocked unconscious. He had used it to his advantage as he took Amy and drove to Gold Strike, California.

After getting directions to Ore's shack, he stocked up on food and headed into the mountains. Now, he just needed to wait until Ironside's detective skills located him. Then Amy would have a new chance in life.


	2. Chapter 2

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 2

Ironside had made up his mind. He was going to take a vacation. He had the time coming, and Dennis Randall could not stop him from taking it. He had to help Amy. He would not be able to take his staff. Eve and Ed would have to remain behind and run the office. Mark, on the other hand, worked directly for him. He would be able to take him up to Ore's cabin with him. Randall would not have anything to say about that.

He wheeled his chair out of his bedroom and into the main office space. Sergeant Ed Brown and Officer Eve Whitfield walked into the office. When neither of them spotted Mark, they both headed for the kitchenette. Eve reached for the coffee pot as Ed pulled two coffee mugs down from the cupboard. She poured the coffee into the mugs and the detectives joined their boss at the table.

"Well?" Ironside asked, "Any progress on finding out who Amy is?"

"Chief, we have checked the town of Gold Strike. There are several families with little girls named Amy," Ed informed him.

"Are any of them in a wheelchair?" Ironside asked.

"Not a one of them," Eve answered for Ed.

"What about the surrounding towns?" Ironside asked.

"Nothing there either," Ed said. "We spent the entire day on this, Chief. We came up with a big fat zero."

"How do we know this is a legitimate letter from a little girl?" Eve asked.

"What do you mean?" Ironside questioned. When Ed and Eve were silent, he demanded, "Well?"

"Chief, Charles Huff was released from prison a month ago," Eve said.

"What does this have to do with Amy?" the chief asked.

"He served some time because of your friend's death. He got a lighter sentence since he did not know that his son was responsible for Ore's death. George Huff and Marshal Douglas will be in prison for many more years," Ed said.

"Sergeant, why are you giving me a summary of a case that you know I would remember well?"

"Chief, you interfered with that highway going through that area. If the Huffs and Marshal Douglas had gotten away with forging over Ore's shack, they would have stood to make a lot of money. Instead, you inherited the shack; they all went to jail. Charles Huff would still be there if it were not for the fact that you would not press charges against him for kidnapping," Ed reminded him.

"He did not kill Ore, nor was he aware that his son had caused his death. I don't believe he would have killed me or let George or Douglas do it. The other two, on the other hand, would not have hesitated to kill me if they could have. Charles Huff paid for what he did. His son George and Marshal Douglas deserved the sentence they got. However, I fail to see what this has to do with our present case." Ironside waited for his officers to respond.

"What we are saying, Chief, is that it is very possible that Charles Huff is luring you to Gold Strike to take revenge on you for bringing them down." Eve surmised. "After all, we have a letter from a little girl asking for your help. There is no return address on the envelope. She did not sign her last name and it is from Gold Strike."

"And," Ed added, "the little girl claims to be in a wheelchair and wants to walk again. What a better way to lure you back to Gold Strike, California."

"In other words, you people have found out nothing," Ironside said, "so it must be a conspiracy."

"Chief, the commissioner has already said to drop this. He is not going to let you go up there," Eve said.

"Dennis cannot stop me from taking a vacation. I have time coming and I am going to take it. Mark will be going with me."

Ed looked around the room. "Where is Mark, anyway?"

"Getting the van ready for the trip," Ironside answered.

The door to the office opened and Mark entered. He came down the ramp and went directly to the table where Ironside was sitting. "The van checks out, Chief." He looked into his boss's eyes. "Is there anyway I can talk you out of going? You can't possibly want to go back there."

"No, and I do want to go back there. I really need to do something about Ore's shack. It should be torn down. I will take care of that while I am there. Are we packed?"

Mark sighed. "We're packed. Your suitcase is in the van. I just have to get mine and put it in."

Ironside picked up a paper from the table and handed it to Eve. "Send this over to Commissioner Randall, but wait until Mark and I have left."

Eve read it and handed it Ed. It was a formal request for vacation time. Obviously the chief was not going to wait for an approval from the commissioner. They would not dare do anything like this, but both of them had no doubt the chief would not only get away with it; the commissioner would not even consider discipline for defying him. The chief could get away with a lot because of his ability to solve crimes.

"While I am gone, I want the two of you to work with Carl and Fran on the bank robberies. I will help when I get back." Ironside turned his wheelchair to Sanger. "Let's get going, Mark."

The phone on the table rang. Everyone stopped and looked at it. "If that is the commissioner, you don't know where I am. Let's leave, Mark, so they can give some resemblance of the truth."

Mark grabbed his jacket from the railing as he moved behind his boss to help push him up the ramp.

Eve picked up the phone, preparing herself for the storm that was about to erupt if the call was from the commissioner. "Chief Ironside's office."

"Is Mark Sanger there?" the male voice asked.

Eve looked up. "Mark, it is for you."

Both Ironside and Mark turned around. The chief nodded at Mark, indicating it was alright for him to take the call. Mark walked back down the ramp and to the table. Eve handed the receiver to him.

"Hello, this is Mark Sanger."

"Mister Sanger, I am calling you about your Aunt Ruby. This is Doctor David Freed. Your aunt has been in a car accident."

Mark covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned his head towards Ironside. "Aunt Ruby has been in a car accident." Ironside immediately wheeled his chair back down the ramp.

"Is she alright?" Mark asked the doctor.

"She is in serious condition, Mister Sanger. I think you should come to the hospital right away, San Francisco General. I will need you to sign release forms. She is going to need surgery."

"I will be right there," Mark said. He looked at his co-workers and relayed the conversation to them.

"Go to the hospital, Mark," Ironside said.

"Can you wait until I find out what is going on? If she needs surgery, it will delay the trip for a few days until I know she is out of danger," Mark said.

"You go ahead. I will go to Gold Strike on my own. Go downstairs to the police garage and tell them I said to provide you with a vehicle."

"Chief, you can't go up there alone," Mark protested.

"And why not?" Ironside demanded.

"Because it might be a trap," Ed said. "I will go in Mark's place."

"Are you forgetting, Sergeant, that you work for the San Francisco Police Department. Commissioner Randall will never approve it, especially since he has assigned the bank robberies to this office. No, you and Eve will stay here. I will go on ahead. I will call the office at least once a day. I want someone on duty twenty-four hours a day until I get back. You work it out with Eve, Carl and Fran. Now, I need to get out of here before Dennis shows up.

"Mark, you let me know about your Aunt Ruby?" Ironside said.

"I will call you," Mark said.

"Then get out of here and get to the hospital," Ironside told the young man. Mark left the office on a dead run.

"Chief," Eve said before her boss interrupted her.

"I am perfectly capable of driving myself. Take care of things until I get back. Before Ed or Eve could say anything further, Ironside turned his chair and headed up the ramp.

His police detectives reluctantly watched as he left the office.

Ed pulled a coin out of his pocket. I'll flip you for who tells the commissioner."

"Not a chance, that's your job. You are in charge," Eve said.

"Not if Carl is assigned to the office. He outranks me." Ed grinned at her.

"Coward," Eve said with a smile.

xxxx

Paul Drake's code knock sounded on Perry Mason's private entrance into his office. Della Street immediately got up from the chair next to Mason's desk and went over to let him in.

Drake entered the office, smiled at Della and said, "Hello, Beautiful." He walked over to the overstuffed chair, sat down and threw his legs over the arm with his back supported by the other one.

Mason looked up at him. "You don't look like you are going to be a bearer of good tidings."

Paul lit up a cigarette, took a puff and blew the smoke into the air. "I am afraid we have come up with nothing, Perry. Since I last talked to you, about the only thing we have found out is that Lawrence Bradley is missing and so is his daughter, Amy."

"Someone must know something, Paul. Have you checked to see where his relatives live? He had to go somewhere. I am running out of time. Burger and Tragg are going to be back here accusing me of hiding Bradley."

"I don't see where you have anything to worry about. They are going to have to prove that you know where Lawrence Bradley is. They just can't arrest you with no proof that you are aiding a fugitive from justice," Della said.

"That is not really the point, Della," Perry said. "I know that, and they know I know it. They are going to try me in the press. You can cout on that."

"Well, if they do, they are going to open themselves up to a lawsuit," Della pointed out.

"By that time, the damage will be done. Everyone will think that Perry is hiding a murderer," Paul argued.

"So where do we go from here?" Della inquired.

"We have to find a relative or a friend; somewhere Bradley would take the child. She is in a wheelchair and under a regular doctor's care. Try going at it from that angle, Paul. See if you can find out if there is a doctor that has been contacted to take care of her. Start with her regular physician. On second thought, Della and I will contact her doctor. He has a sister in Los Angeles. Find her and talk to her. See if she has any idea where he might go."

"Okay, Perry. We already tried to contact her but she was out of town. She is supposed to be back today." Paul stood up and headed for the door. "I'll call as soon as I know anything."

"Do the police have out an APB on Bradley's car?" Perry asked as Paul reached the door.

"I checked that, yes, they do. They have not come up with anything yet, but Brady would have had a big head start on them." Paul opened the door and left the office.

"What are you going to do if Paul can't find Bradley?" Della asked.

"I don't know, Della. I would like to find him before the police do. I need to know what happened in that house."

"He ran, Perry. The police consider flight as guilt."

"I know but it is not necessarily guilt. He might not have known she was dead."

"But they said they questioned him."

"Who knows what they asked and how they asked it. You know the police in this city as well as I do. They try to trap a person with their own words to use them against them later in court."

Mason got up and started pacing the floor. He always thought better on his feet.

xxxx

Hamilton Burger read the coroner's report on Karen Bradley's death. There could be no doubt that it was murder. Lawrence Bradley had taken off knowing the police would be looking for him. His prints were on the murder weapon and he had been seen coming out of his house with his daughter just about the time the murder had been committed.

Burger felt sorry for the little girl. She lost her mother to a senseless murder, and now she would lose her father because of punishment for that crime. He hoped she had a family member somewhere that would take the little girl in. He worried that no one would want to take on a little girl in a wheelchair. A lot of families would consider her a burden.

There was a knock on his office door. "Come in," Burger invited.

Lieutenant Tragg opened it and walked into the office. "Have you heard from Mason?"

Burger set down the report he was reading. "No, and I assume you have not either or you would not be asking me."

Tragg said down heavily in one of the chairs in front of Burger's desk. He took off his hat and tossed it in front of him. "I don't understand Mason. Why would he take the chance of being arrested for an accessory after the fact. Why is he risking everything? Especially for a client that is guilty as hell."

"Perry thinks all of his clients are innocent," Burger reminded him. "And we can't really prove he knows where Bradley is."

Tragg smiled. "So far, all of them have been innocent."

"Not this time, Tragg. Not this time. I can honestly say this is a slam-dunk winner. Not even Perry is going to get Bradley off this time. Any luck finding him at all? Any leads?"

Tragg shook his head. "The only way he could have left the city is by car. No reservation on a plane, train or bus, and his car is missing."

"APB?"

"Of course, but so far it has not produced any results. No one has reported seeing it," Tragg said.

"Well, I guess it is time we lean on Mason a little harder."

"I already threatened to arrest him, Hamilton. What else can we do? I led him to believe we had proof that he was hiding him, but the truth is we have absolutely nothing to substantiate his arrest. If we arrest him to try to force him to tell us where Bradley is, and he really doesn't know where he is, this department and yours will be facing a big fat law suit. That could cost one or both of us our jobs."

"When we were trying to find out where Frank Rousseau's body was, you arrested him and he did not sue," Burger pointed out. *

"I don't think we will get away with that again. He was pretty angry when I accused him of hiding Lawrence Bradley. If he knows where he is, then he missed his calling. He would have made a hell of an actor," Tragg said wearily.

"No, he would never make it in Hollywood. He looks too much like that actor, Raymond Burr. You don't suppose he really doesn't know where he is, do you?" Burger asked. He was beginning to think that he actually did not.

"He always knows where his client is," Tragg said. "No, he has him holding up somewhere we haven't looked. I think it is time to lean on him so more. Would you like to come along, Hamilton?"

"I have a better idea," Burger suggested. "Let's have him picked up and brought in. It just might start him thinking that we are serious. He might give up his client."

"Yes, I think I would," Arthur said with a slight smirk.

"Alright, Tragg, but you better let me do the talking. Perry is a very smart lawyer. I don't want you getting into trouble. You might say something that will give him cause to sue."

Tragg stood up, grabbed his hat and headed for the door. "The more I think about it I don't think he would sue. He didn't sue when Holcomb picked up Ironside and threw him in that cell."

"You got lucky on that one. Are you willing to press your luck again?" Hamilton asked as he stood up and joined Tragg at the door.

Arthur grinned. "Yes, I would press my luck. Perry would not sue."

"I would not be so sure if I were you," Burger said as they left the office.

xxxx

A frustrated Eve Whitfield threw her pencil down on her boss's desk. She had continued to look for a little girl named Amy. Broadening her search to include surrounding towns, Eve had still come up with nothing.

Ed Brown heard the pencil hit the desk, and turned his head in her direction. "What's the matter, Eve, have you not found a pattern in the bank robberies?"

Eve turned her chair towards her fellow detective. "Well... I ... umm..."

"You have been looking for little girls named Amy in any town near Gold Strike." Ed smiled at her.

"Ed, I am worried. I know the chief can take care of himself, but this whole situation bothers me. Why no last name on that note? If that is not bad enough; why no return address. If it is Charles Huff, he could be trying to lure the chief back up there. What a better way to do it than to appeal to the chief's emotions with a little girl in a wheelchair, trying to get an operation that will allow her to walk again?"

Brown stood up and walked over to Eve. "I know. It has been bothering me as well. I called the sheriff's office in Gold Strike. Charles Huff did indeed return there. He is staying at his place where he kept the chief prisoner."

Eve could not hold back a smile. "Looks like I am not the only one that is not working on the bank robberies."

Ed sighed. "You know Commissioner Randall is going to want to know what we have learned through our investigation."

"One of us needs to be working on it," Eve said.

"I'll start on the bank robberies. You stick with the chief," Ed suggested.

"Deal," Eve responded.

xxxx

Paul Drake knocked on the door of Jill Bradley. Through his investigations, he had found out that Lawrence had an unmarried sister. He wasn't sure how much information he would be able to get from her as he had also learned that the siblings were on the outs, and rarely spoke with one another.

Paul waited for someone to answer the door, but no one did. He walked over to the window and peered in. The television was on. That had to mean Jill Bradley had to be home. No one went away and left their television blaring. The detective went back to the door and knocked again. Still no one answered.

Heading around to the back of the house, Drake opened the gate and entered the yard. A rather large blocky, black tan dog came running at him, teeth bared and snarling. Paul fought his instincts to pull his gun and shoot the dog. After all, he was the intruder as far as the dog was concerned. He braced himself, hoping to grab the dog by the neck and hold him off.

"Bruiser!" A woman had come from behind the house and was running towards the detective and the attacking dog. As soon as she called the dog's name, he reacted. His front paws hit Drake in the chest nearly knocking him down. He jumped back down and landed on all four feet in front of Paul.

"I am sorry, but he is rather territorial. There is a sign on the fence that says _Beware of the Dog._ I suggest you pay attention."

Paul looked down at the canine. He was a good sized animal and he had no doubt, a rather powerful one. "What kind of dog is that?"

"He's a Rottweiler," she answered. "He really is very gentle; he just doesn't like people entering without my say so first. Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Paul Drake. I am a private investigator." Paul reached into his pocket, pulled out his identification and showed it to her. "I am trying to find your brother, Lawrence Bradley."

"What makes you think I would know where he is?"

"You are Jill Bradley, his sister?" Paul asked.

"Yes, but my brother and I don't get along. I rarely see him. And now that he has killed Karen, I don't want to see him at all. In fact, I am going to see a lawyer to find out if I can get custody of Amy," Bradley informed him.

Bruiser jumped up on Paul. His stump of a tail was wagging. Paul grabbed his paws to prevent the dog from licking him in the face. All he could think of was _Jekyll and Mister Hyde._ The dog had a split personality.

Jill Bradley smiled. "He has decided he likes you, Mister Drake. I told you he is very gentle."

After the dog tried to tear him apart, Paul did not believe a word of it. He simply kept a wary eye on him. "I can see that," Paul said, not really meaning it.

"Why are you trying to find my brother?" Jill asked him.

"I work for his attorney. He wants me to find him," Drake answered.

"Before the police do, no doubt."

Paul said nothing."Do you have any idea where he may have gone?" Drake asked her.

"Not a clue, but if you find him, will you let me know?"

Drake avoided her question as he knew he would not be telling her if he did find him. He was represented by Perry, and he certainly was not going to tell his sister, who had admitted she was going to go after custody of Lawrence Bradley's kid. He decided to take another approach. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the problem between you and your brother?"

"His daughter, Amy. He would not listen to Karen. He decided only what he wanted for her was all that mattered. He has been obsessed with trying to get her out of that wheelchair, even though every doctor has said her condition is permanent. And his latest scheme is completely ridiculous."

"Oh, and why is that?" Paul asked.

"He is trying to get a man in a wheelchair to help convince the doctors to do a new surgery to supposedly make Amy walk again."

"Is there a chance that it will work?" Paul asked.

"All he is doing is giving Amy false hope. They cannot reverse her condition. She has seen numerous experts as it is. Karen probably tried to stop him from taking Amy out of town. He killed her for it. I hope he rots in hell, even if he is my brother."

"Do you know who the man is that he is trying to convince to help them, the man in the wheelchair?"

"I don't know, but I understand he lives somewhere near the Sierra Mountains," Jill told him.

Paul pulled out his notebook and wrote down some of the information she had given him. "I want to thank you. You have been a big help."

Jill grabbed Paul's arm. "Do you know of a really good attorney I could contact. Who's the best?"

"Perry Mason is the best there is, but he would not be able to help you, I am afraid," Paul told her.

"Mason! Yes, he is the one I want. Why could he not help me?"

"Because representing you would be a conflict of interest." Paul turned away from her and began to leave.

"Are you telling me Mason is representing my brother?"

Paul smiled. "I am sorry, Miss Bradley, but I am unable to speak for Mister Mason." He opened the gate and left before she could question him any further about Perry.

xxxx

Robert Ironside pulled the van into Gold Strike. The town had not changed much since the last time he was there. He spotted the restaurant he and Mark had eaten in when they came to see his friend, Ore. Ironside got in the lift and lowered his wheelchair to the ground. He wheeled to the door just in time for a couple to come out. They held the door opened, and Ironside pulled his chair inside by placing his hands on both sides of the door frame. The chief turned his chair towards the couple, smiled and thanked them before moving on.

Since it was now dinner time, the restaurant was almost completely full. He spotted only one empty table and wheeled over to it. Pushing one of the chairs away from it, he pulled his wheelchair up to the table and waited for a waitress to come to his table.

When one finally did, she smiled at Ironside. "I remember you. You are that San Francisco police officer that had Marshal Douglas arrested, along with old man Huff and his son. It was rather big news around here. You're... Chief... Ironside. Yes, that's it. Hello again, Chief. What brings you here?"

"Just passing through," he told her as he took the menu she handed him. "I would like a bowl of chili and a glass of bourbon."

She wrote it down and said, "Coming right up, Chief. My name is Erna. If you need anything at all, you just let me know." She flashed a smile at him and left his table.

Ironside looked around the restaurant. It was very noisy and people all seemed to be minding their own business, except one man that was sitting three tables away from him. Ironside noticed that he had been staring at him since he had entered. Glancing casually in the man's direction, the detective studied him without the man knowing it.

The men was in his mid to late thirties. Although he was sitting down, he appeared to be tall, about six-foot-two, Ironside estimated. He had dark brown hair, parted on the left side, and supported an unshaven face. Ironside noted that he was dressed in a flannel shirt and khaki pants.

He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and without the man knowing, took a couple pictures of him. He then texted Ed to let him know that he had arrived at Gold Strike safely. A few minutes later Erna returned with his chili and bourbon.

"Can I get you anything else, Chief?" she asked him, smiling.

"No thank you." As she turned to leave, he took hold of her wrist. "There is one thing you might be able to help me with."

"Sure, if I can," she said pleasantly.

"The man sitting alone in the flannel shirt; do you know him?"

So as to not attract the man's attention, she only glanced at him long enough to etch him into her memory. "No, I can't say that I do. He has never been in here before. This is not a big town. I know just about everyone in it. I don't believe he is from around here."

"Thank you," Ironside said. When she left his table, he began to eat his chili. Before long, the stranger picked up his drink, leaving his uneaten meal, and walked over to the detective.

"You are Chief Robert Ironside, aren't you?"

Ironside studied the man and answered, "Yes, I am, and who may you be?"

"My name is Lawrence Bradley. Do you mind if I join you?" he asked and sat down.

Refers to my fanfiction, The Case of the Mock Murder

(Frank Rousseau's missing body)

All references to Ore Franklin, Marshall Douglas, George Charles Huff of Gold Strike is take from the Ironside episode "Desperate Encounter"


	3. Chapter 3

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 3

Perry Mason completed his conference with his client. He walked her over to the door, opened it and smiled. "Goodbye"

The pretty blonde woman smiled back at him. "Goodbye, Mister Mason and thank you. I feel much better knowing you are handling things.

Della Street walked into his office. "You have two more appointments, Perry, but there is a problem."

"What kind of a problem?" Mason asked.

"Lieutenant Tragg is waiting in the outer office and he insists on seeing you."

"Did you tell him I have two clients who made appointments."

"I did, but it doesn't make any difference to him. He said he wants to see you before you see your next client."

Mason hesitated. He did not appreciate Tragg interrupting his office. "Tell him he will have to wait. I doubt that he actually has a warrant. I am not making clients wait because he is impatient, and show in the next client."

"Yes, sir," Della answered and left his office.

For the next hour Perry attended to his clients. He did not give Tragg a moment's thought. Over the years, Tragg had ignored Della's authority and pushed his way past her, saying he did not like to wait. Perry had been determined this was one time he was going to wait and if he pushed his way into his office, he was going to throw him out, politely, but throw him out nonetheless.

After Della had showed the last client out, she came back into the office. "Lock the door, Della," Perry instructed.

She looked at him, but did as he requested. Walking over to his desk, she asked, "Is there a reason we are locking the door?"

"To keep Tragg from just barging in here. He has done that so many times over the years. I am just not in the mood to put up with it after the way he and Burger have accused me of hiding Lawrence Bradley.

"Unless I miss my guess, he is going to drag me downtown," Perry surmised.

"You don't have to go if he did not bring a warrant," Della pointed out.

Mason shook his head. "He would just go and try to get the warrant. I might as well get this over with. I want you to stay in the room, Della. I want a witness to what happens. Now, go get Tragg and bring him in."

Della Street left the office immediately. She passed through her office and went into the lobby where Lieutenant Arthur Tragg was sitting in one of the chairs reading a magazine. When he saw Della enter, he stood up. "Is Mason finally going to get around to seeing me?"

"Yes, Lieutenant. Mister Mason had to see the clients who had appointments first. Come right in." Della led Tragg through her office and opened the door to Perry's. She walked in and held the door open for the detective as he entered.

"Perry, I don't appreciate waiting an hour. The citizens of Los Angeles don't like me sitting around doing nothing for," he consulted his watch, "over an hour."

Mason smiled. "And I don't like the police expecting me to leave clients, who have made appointments to see me, sitting in the lobby because they show up unannounced and without an appointment."

"I could have come here with a warrant," Tragg said.

"No, I don't think so. First you must be able to prove that I know where Lawrence Bradley is, which I don't. Otherwise, showing up here with a warrant would have forced me to file a suit against the Los Angeles Police Department and the District Attorney's office. Now, let's cut to the chase, Tragg. We have known each other way to long to play games. Why are you here?"

"Mister Burger would like to talk to you." Tragg's demeanor had taken a turn, and not for the better.

"Then tell Mister Burger that he can call this office and make an appointment," Mason said.

"Perry, don't force me to get that warrant. Just come with me, and you can have that chat with Mister Burger."

Mason walked around his desk and sat down. He looked up at the lieutenant. "This is a law office, a place of business. I am not going to leave it because Hamilton wants to have a chat. I will be more than happy to stop by his office at the close of business today, or he can call here and Della will fit him in." Mason stared up at Tragg.

"Alright, if that is the way you want it, I will be back in an hour with a warrant for your arrest." Tragg put his hat back on his head and turned around.

"No, you won't. You have no proof that I am hiding Lawrence Bradley. You are a smart cop, Lieutenant. You are not going to arrest me without proof. Now if Hamilton would like me to stop by after five o'clock, have him let Della know."

A very angry Arthur Tragg left Mason's office in a huff as Della watched him leave. "I thought you were going to go with him."

"I was until he started that warrant business. They can't arrest me and they know it. Now, lets get those briefs done. I have a feeling Tragg will be back with Hamilton Burger in tow."

xxxx

Katherine Deneuve opened the door to Chief Ironside's office and walked in. She glanced at the main table where one could usually find Robert Ironside during the day. This time the only one she could spot was Sergeant Ed Brown. He had paperwork spread out around the table while talking on the phone. Over at Robert's desk sat Eve Whitfield. She was also on the phone.

Katherine walked down the ramp. She did not see Mark anywhere, so she headed for the table and sat down waiting for Ed to get off the phone. He looked up and smiled when he saw her. Cupping the speaker of the receiver, he said, "I will be right with you, Katherine."

She waited patiently for him to finish his conversation. She could tell by his end of the conversation that it was about a series of bank robberies. It was another fifteen minutes before Brown finished. He finally hung up the phone.

"Hello, Katherine. It is nice to see you again. It has been a while," he said.

Katherine again looked around the room. Ed did not have to guess who she was looking for. "He went to Gold Strike."

That explained why Mark was not in the office. He would have gone with Robert. "Where is that?"

"Near the Sierra Mountains," Ed informed her. "He went there to see if he could find a little girl that has asked for his help."

"He didn't have time to tell you. It was a spur of the moment decision," Eve told her.

"Mark went with him?" Katherine asked.

"No, his Aunt Ruby was in a car accident. Mark is at the hospital," he explained.

The door to the office opened and Commissioner Randall walked in. He had a paper in his hand. He wasted no time coming down the ramp. "Where is he?" The commissioner was obviously upset.

Katherine, sensing the commissioner was not in a very good mood decided that it would be better if she left. "Ed, when Robert calls, please ask him to call me."

Ed smiled. "I am sure when he realizes he did not call you, he will do so immediately, but I will tell him."

"Thank you, Ed." She looked at Randall and said, "Commissioner."

"Good day, Katherine," Randall said, trying to muster a bit of charm. He watched her leave. When the door closed, he turned back to Ed. "I received this request for vacation. Where is your boss? He can't possibly take a vacation right now. I can't approved this vacation time he has requested. The city council wants him to investigate these bank robberies. Now, when will he be back in the office?"

Ed just sat there looking at the commissioner. Eve walked over from the desk where she had been working and joined them at the table. She knew Ed did not want to tell him, so she might as well do it for him. "He will be back when his vacation is over."

"What! You mean he left for vacation before it was approved?" Randall said in disbelief. "He knew I wanted him on these bank robberies!"

"We are handling it, Commissioner," Ed told him. "We have already made some progress. There is no doubt all of them were done by the same individuals."

"Where did he go?" Gold Strike?" Randall demanded, ignoring Ed's comment about progress.

"Yes, sir. He wanted to see if he could locate ..."

"The girl who wrote him the letter. I should have known." Randall was clearly unhappy about the chief leaving, but he knew he would not do anything about it. He just did not know how he was going to explain it to the city council. "When he checks in, tell him I want to speak with him."

He got up to go. There was no sense in lecturing Ironside's staff. They could not have stopped him anymore than he had been able to do. Randall could not reprimand Ironside. He needed him, and Ironside knew it. He raised his voice and looked over his shoulder as he went up the ramp. "Keep me informed on the robberies."

As he opened the door, Mark Sanger was on his way in. Puzzled when he saw the young man, he inquired, "You didn't go with Bob?"

"Obviously not," Mark replied. "My aunt was in a car accident. She's in the hospital."

"I hope she will be alright," he told Mark.

Bob Ironside could take care of himself, Randall knew that. Still, he did not like him going anywhere alone. He wished Mark had gone with him. As a detective he had made many enemies over the years, and there had been so many high-profile cases that he had become easily recognizable, especially in California. He worried that some thug would decide to ... He shook his head as he left the office. Better not to think about it. Robert Ironside could go and do as he pleased, and he would. Randall pushed the button and waited for the elevator.

"Well," Eve said, "that was not as bad as I thought it was going to be." She watched Mark as he joined them at the table. "How's Aunt Ruby?"

"She is going to be okay, but she will have to stay in the hospital for a while. I thought I would give you a hand. It will help keep my mind off the chief."

"The chief?" Ed frowned. "Your aunt is in the hospital and you are worried about the chief?"

"My aunt is under the best of care. The chief has gone up there based on a letter he thinks is from a little girl. What if someone is trying to lure him up there?" Mark suggested.

Eve and Ed both had the same thought. The three of them had worked together so long they were beginning to think alike. Ed had to consider the fact that there just was a little girl who might not think to use her last name on the letter. What bothered Ed was he did not see how a child could send out a letter without the help of her parents.

"Ed, Mark is right. I have spent the entire day trying to get a line on this girl and have come up with nothing. Even if there is a little girl in a wheelchair, how in the world is the chief going to find her?"

"I don't know, Eve. Nor do I know what we can do about it. Are either one of you willing to disobey the chief's orders without evidence he has walked into a trap?"

There was silence in the room for a minute before Mark spoke up. "I am. Look, Aunt Ruby is going to be fine. She will have a long recovery, but she is in no immediate danger. Why don't I drive up to Gold Strike and check on him?"

The suggestion excited Eve. "That's a great idea! What do you say, Ed?"

"The chief will see right through it," Ed replied.

"So what. At least we will know that he is alright, and if there is a little girl, I can help him find her."

"Eve, remember when the chief was first shot and confined to that wheelchair. He went into Honor Thompson's store to pick up Tony Emmons, whom we thought was the one that shot the chief. Mark and I did not want to let a man in a wheelchair go in there alone. Do you remember what you said?"

"Yes. I said he's not a man in a wheelchair, he's Ironside in a wheelchair. If we go in after him then he is just a man in a wheelchair."

"Well, doesn't that hold true to this situation?" Ed asked.

"So we are going to do nothing?" Eve pushed her superior officer.

"For the moment, we are going to do nothing. We will wait until the chief reports in and see what he has found out. Then we will go from there. I have to go over to Wells Fargo bank to talk to the manager. I'll be back in a while." Sergeant Brown left his co-workers and headed out of the office.

xxxx

Robert Ironside looked at the man sitting across the table from him. Lawrence Bradley had not waited for an invitation to join Ironside. The man simply was not familiar to the chief. He could not remember ever having had contact with him, but then he had dealt with so many criminals and people over the course of his career as a cop, that he could not possibly remember every one of them.

One thing for sure, if he had had a run-in with him, he would certainly remember. Ironside continued to study him. He said nothing waiting for him to speak.

"Chief Ironside, I need your help," Lawrence Bradley said.

"What kind of help?" the chief asked. Before Bradley could answer, Ironside noticed the television that was suspended from the ceiling behind Bradley. There was a newscast on the set. The sound had been turned down, but the closed-caption was on. Ironside caught the name Lawrence Bradley. The detective tried to divide his time between reading the caption and looking at Bradley. He did not want him to draw his attention to the television until he could ascertain why the man was on the news.

... _. Lawrence Bradley is still at large. It is alleged that after an argument with his wife Karen over their handicapped daughter, Amy, he killed his wife and disappeared with his daughter._

Ironside did not need to read any further. This man was wanted by the Los Angeles Police Department for murder. Yet, that was secondary to what else was in that newscast. Amy! His handicapped daughter. It could not be a coincidence. This had to be the Amy that had sent him the letter. He had been about to dismiss the man for his rude behavior of not waiting to be invited to sit down, but now he wanted to talk to him.

"Mister Bradley, are you going to tell me what it is that you want?" Ironside asked.

"Chief, I would like to talk to you, but not here. Can we go for a ride?"

"You want me to go for a ride with a complete stranger?"

"I present no harm to you. After all, you are a cop and I have no doubt that you are armed. Cops always carry a gun, even when they are not on duty."

Gun! Ironside had left the office in such a hurry to get out of there before Commissioner Randall showed up, that he had completely forgotten to take his service revolver out of his desk. He was not armed and now he was dealing with a fugitive from justice.

He did not normally have his service revolver on him in his office. In fact, he sometimes did not have it on him when he left the office. In the office it was not necessary for him to carry it on his person. When he left, he was almost always with one of his detectives. He did not always carry it if he was certain the situation did not call for it. That, of course, was a breech of department policy. When an officer was on duty, he or she was supposed to have his service revolver on him or her at all times.

Ironside was not on duty. At least he did not think he would be. However, he always carried it when he traveled. It had simply slipped his mind. Getting out of his office before the commissioner showed up was all that was. If Randall had showed up, he would not have been able to take his 'vacation.'

Now he was dealing with a fugitive from justice who was accused of murder. He had no idea if this man had committed the crime or not, but he certainly had taken his daughter and left the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Police. If only he could get to a phone, he could call Lieutenant Arthur Tragg and tell him where to find his suspect.

Bradley noticed that people were staring at Ironside, or was it him they were staring at. He glanced up at the television that was across from him; televisions on all four walls. The news was reporting a murder in the city of Los Angeles. His eyes widen when he saw his own name run on the screen.

"Let's go Chief. We can talk in your van," Bradley said.

Ironside noticed the change in his demeanor. He had no doubt the man had just seen the newscast about himself. There was no reason to pretend. "You are a fugitive, Mister Bradley."

"Apparently. I assure you, Chief, I did not know that when I left Los Angeles," Bradley said.

"You have to turn yourself in," Ironside said. "Right now it looks like you ran away, and flight is the sign of a guilty man."

"You don't understand. I can't turn myself in, not just yet. You need to meet Amy. She needs your help. Please, Chief, come with me. I promise that after you meet Amy, I will call my lawyer and turn myself in."

"Who is your lawyer? I will call him for you," Ironside offered.

"Perry Mason is my lawyer. I know you know him. In fact, I know he is your brother"

"Does Perry know where you are?" Ironside asked.

"I had no reason to inform him where I was going. I told you, I did not know that the police were looking for me. I had no reason to. I did not kill Karen."

"You should know the family of the murdered becomes an automatic suspect until they can be ruled out."

"I can't concern myself with that right now. I have to help Amy. Please, Chief, come with me to see her. Once I have made arrangements for her, I will call Mister Mason."

"You will call him now if you want my help. I am not going anywhere with you willingly. That would make me guilty of aiding a fugitive. As a police officer, I have an obligation to turn you over to the police. What I will do, is go get your daughter for you. We can discuss the rest later," Ironside said.

Lawrence Bradley was becoming increasingly worried about the attention he seemed to be drawing. He had no more time to waste on trying to convince Ironside to help him. He hated to do what he was about to do, but he simply had no choice. He pulled the gun out of his jacket pocket only far enough for Ironside to see it, and then pushed it back in. Keeping his hand in his pocket, he said, "We are going for a ride, Chief. I am not giving you a choice. After you meet Amy and have started the necessary steps to help her, I will turn myself in, but not until then. Now let's go."

"So you are going to add kidnapping to the murder charge. I warn you, Mister Bradley, when all is said and done, I will press charges. Ironside's steely blue eyes bore into Bradley's.

Bradley knew that Ironside meant it. He didn't care. He didn't care if he went to jail for the rest of his life. It would be worth it if only his precious Amy could walk. He simply did not want her to spend her life in a wheelchair. When he noticed Ironside was not making any move to leave, Bradley said, "I am desperate, Chief. If you don't start heading out of here, I am going to shoot you."

"Go ahead and shoot. I am not going anywhere with you," Ironside growled. You are going to turn yourself in."

"I told you I can't do that yet, but I will later. You have my word," Lawrence Bradley said, trying to convince the detective.

Ironside snorted. "The word of an accused murderer and potential kidnapper." He leaned forward and bore his eyes into Bradley. "Shoot."

Bradley was beginning to panic. He did not anticipate the stubbornness of this man. He thought for sure he would be willing to help him. After all, from everything he had heard, he hated being in a wheelchair. Bradley thought he would jump at the chance to help a little girl from the same fate. He had to change tactics. "Alright, since you don't seem to have any regard for your own life, let's find out if you are the cop everyone says you are. You are sworn to protect the public. If you don't start wheeling that chair out of here, I am going to start shooting the people in this restaurant." He stared at Ironside to see his reaction.

Robert Ironside just stared back at Lawrence Bradley. He was nervous and upset. It was not a good situation. Ironside had hoped Bradley would give up if he just refused to go with him. Apparently, that was not the case. The chief did not think he would really follow through with his threat to shoot the people in the restaurant, but he could not take the chance. He saw no way out of the situation, but to do what Bradley was demanding. "Alright, Mister Bradley. Take it easy. I will go with you."

Relieved, Bradley waited until Ironside had paid his bill. He wheeled the detective out of the restaurant. He pushed Ironside over to his van. The chief pushed the button and the van's lift lowered to the ground.

"I should have had one of those for Amy." He watched Ironside back his chair onto the lift and pushed the button for him. Bradley opened the passenger door and got in. He pulled the gun out of his pocket. "Remember, Chief, I have nothing to lose. Obey all speed limits and don't draw attention to us. Is that clear?"

"It's clear," Ironside responded.

After searching the detective for a gun, he said, "Good, start the van and get moving."

"Where are we going?" Ironside asked.

"A place you are familiar with, Ore Franklin's shack."

Damn it, thought Ironside. Why hadn't he had that thing torn down before now?

xxxx

Paul Drake wrapped the private code knock on Perry Mason's private entrance. Della Street opened the door and let him in. "Hi Beautiful."

"Hello, Paul. Perry is expecting you."

Mason stood up as Drake approached his desk. "What do you have for me?"

"I told you before Lawrence Bradley has a sister. Her name is Jill Bradley. I was able to talk to her."

"Does she know where her brother went?" Mason asked.

"No. They are not on speaking terms. She objects to her brother's constant attempts to try to find doctors who will try operations on his daughter, Amy. She feels he is obsessed with trying to get her out of that wheelchair. But she did say something that might give us a clue to his whereabouts."

Perry perked up. "What's that?"

Paul told him about the man in a wheelchair that Bradley was trying to enlist to help. "There is some new procedure that he wants his daughter to have. He doesn't have the money for it, so he is trying to get this man to help."

"Who is this man?" Della asked.

Paul shrugged. "She didn't know, but she did say he lives near the Sierra Mountains."

"Well, at least that is something. Paul, get on a plane and head up there. See if you can get a line on this man in the wheelchair. I am betting that is where Bradley has gone."

"Perry, you do realize that is a pretty large area to cover. Near the Sierra Mountains takes in a lot of territory," Paul said.

Mason grinned. "It is more than we had before. We have to find him before Tragg does. I must talk to him and find out what happened. And Paul, find out what the man in the wheelchair does for a living?"

"What? Why? He is in a wheelchair. What could he do? He is probably retired and living the good life."

"Oh, you mean like Bob Ironside?" Mason said, grinning again.

"I see your point, but I still don't understand why you want to know what he does," Della said.

"Why would Bradley try to enlist his help in the first place?" Perry pondered. "The only reason I can think of is he is a man with some influence."

"Got ya," Paul said, nodding. "I'm on my way." Drake left the office the same way he had come in.

"Della, call Amy's doctor and make an appointment to see him tonight."

"Yes, sir," Della said. She headed to her office to make the call.

xxxx

Hamilton Burger was working at his desk when the intercom buzzed. He pushed the button. "Yes."

"Mister Burger, Lieutenant Tragg is here to see you, his secretary said.

Hamilton smiled. He was prepared to read Perry the riot act. He was fond of his friend, but he still did not like the chances he took to protect his clients. If Perry knew where Bradley was, he was going to get him to tell them. "Send him in."

The door opened and Lieutenant Tragg entered. Lieutenant Anderson pushed the door back open, as Tragg tried to shut it. Hamilton Burger looked behind him. "Where's Mason?"

Tragg frowned. "He would not come."

Burger stood up. "And you let him get away with it?"

"What could I do?" Tragg asked. "I did not have a warrant."

"You should have tried to get one," Burger said.

"I did. The judge would not give it to me. He said believing Mason knows and proving it are two different things. He said we have no proof he knows," Tragg reported.

"Unfortunately, he is right," Burger said. "I was hoping he would do it anyway. Now what?"

"Perry said if you wanted to talk to him, you could call his office and make an appointment," Tragg told him.

"I wanted to force him to come here on our turf."

"Well, unless we can come up with something to show he knows where Bradley is, he is not going to do that."

Burger reached for the intercom and pressed the button.

"Yes, Mister Burger."

"Call Perry Mason and make an appointment, and make sure it is after his listed office hours."

"Yes, sir. Right away."

Lieutenant Tragg grinned. When Burger noticed it, he said, "What's so amusing, Arthur?"

"Perry, that is what. We were hoping to bully him into coming here, and he has bullied us into going to him."

"Yeah, sometimes he infuriates me," Burger complained.

"Gentleman, let me put you in a better mood," Lieutenant Anderson said. "We got the test results back on the bookend. The blood on it belongs to Karen Bradley, and it had Lawrence Bradley's prints on it on the opposite side of the blood, just exactly how he would have had to hold it to hit her with it."

Burger smiled. "That does put me in a better mood."

The intercom buzzed. Burger pressed the button. "Yes."

"Mister Burger, Miss Street made an appointment for you at six o'clock."

"Thank you." He turned to Tragg and Anderson. "Well, gentlemen, we better get going."

xxxx

It was completely dark when Robert Ironside pulled the van up next to Ore Franklin's shack. He got into the lift to lower his chair to the ground.

"Don't bother, Chief. We are not staying here. This is the first place your staff would look for you. Stay in the van while I get my daughter." He put his hand out, palm up. "Give me the keys to the van. I don't want you taking off while I get Amy."

Ironside handed over the keys to the van and watched Bradley disappear into the shack. As soon as he went in, the chief reached for the radio. When he pulled the receiver, the cord had been severed. "Damn it!" He then reached for the phone. The cord on it had been severed as well. In frustration, the chief threw it on the floor. He opened the glove box. He had been hoping for a the spare gun that was kept there, but it was missing. The detective slammed the box shut.

Why didn't he keep the flaming van locked when he exited it. He could have at least forced Bradley to break into it. Maybe someone would have seen him and called the police.

A few minutes later, Bradley came out of the shack carrying one suitcase and pushing a little girl in a wheelchair. He pressed the button on the lift, backed his daughter into it and pressed the button.

"Cool!" she said excitedly. When she got to the van's floor level, she wheeled off the lift.

Ironside turned his chair toward her. When she saw the detective, a smile broke across her face. "Chief Ironside!! You have always been my hero!!"

Ironside looked at the little girl, his heart melted.


	4. Chapter 4

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 4

Andy Anderson was just about to call it a day when a uniformed police officer opened the door to his office.

"Hi, Lieutenant," Officer Jerry Green said as he walked into Anderson's office. He was carrying a computer hard drive. He did not wait to be invited in, he just walked in and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Andy's desk.

"I don't want to hear it. The day is over for me and I am headed home. I don't care if the Pope or President has been shot. I am tired and I am going to take advantage of a night off for a change," Andy said.

"I think this will give you your second wind," Green said as he set the computer hard drive on Anderson's desk.

Andy stared at the drive. "So what is on it that would keep me from going home?"

Jerry Green just smiled. "Did you know that Lawrence Bradley had a surveillance system in his house?"

Anderson looked up with sudden interest. "That means security cameras"

"That's right, Lieutenant, and do you know what is on that hard drive?" Green grinned and pointed to it.

Anderson did not wait for Green to tell him. He turned his computer back on and waited for it to boot up. Once it was up and running, he hooked the hard drive up to his computer. After pressing a few keys on the keyboard, he was able to access the contents.

There on the computer monitor was the murder scene. The man's back was to the camera, but Andy could clearly see Karen Bradley. "Is there any sound with this recording?"

"Sorry Lieutenant, the system he was using only has video. Just keep watching," Officer Green said, regretfully.

"This is pretty fuzzy," Anderson pointed out. "I cannot tell if that is Lawrence Bradley or not.

"Just wait, sir. In a minute you will be able to tell it is he."

Andy continued to watch. He felt helpless as the man in the video picked up a bookend and slammed it into the head of Karen Bradley. Without ever turning his face to the camera, he left by the back door. Andy stared at the computer. "Am I missing something? He never turned his face to the camera. How can that be identified as Lawrence Bradley?"

"We wondered the same thing when we played it, so we blew up a couple sections. It is obvious he was trying to conceal that he was in that study. We checked the rest of the rooms in the house and the camera recording is as clear as a bell."

"That doesn't prove the man in the recording is Lawrence Bradley," Andy said.

"No, but we found the camera had been switched off at the time of the murder. He deliberately shut it off so that the murder would not be recorded."

"That doesn't make sense. If he shut off the camera, then why did it record the den? And why was it so fuzzy?"

"He turned off every room including the den, or so he thought. He could not get the button to the den turned off. He messed with the focus instead. He realized that the camera in the den was still on. By playing with the focus, he made sure we could not make out who he was. That explains why it was so fuzzy."

"Then the camera's focus is controlled on the computer and not at the camera itself" Andy asked.

"That's right, " Green said.

"It still doesn't show that that is Lawrence Bradley."

Green pulled a picture out of his pocket. It was a blow up of the wrist of the man in the video. The initials on the cuff links read LRB.

"What's Bradley's middle name? Andy asked.

"Ryan."

"Let's go talk to Burger and Tragg."

xxxx

As Perry and Della prepared to leave the office to visit Amy Bradley's doctor, the door to Mason's office opened and in walked Burger and Tragg. Gertie hurried into the office behind them.

"I am sorry Mister Mason. They refused to wait until they were announced," she said, clearly upset.

"That's alright, Gertie and thank you," Mason told her. She turned and left the office. Mason turned to Burger and Tragg. "I have asked you more than once not to barge into my office unannounced," Mason said irritably.

"And I have told you the people of Los Angeles do not like to pay me for sitting around," Tragg said with a smile.

"Then I would suggest you make an appointment, Lieutenant. Now if the two of you will step back into the lobby, Gertie will announce that you want to see me. Otherwise, Della and I are leaving," Mason said as he helped Della into her coat.

"Perry, we don't have time for this. We are not stepping into the lobby. We need to talk and right now," Burger said.

"Let's go, Della," Mason instructed. Mason and Della headed for the door.

"Now just a minute, Mason. Don't make me arrest you," Tragg warned.

"Do you have a warrant, Lieutenant?" Perry demanded.

"Well, no, but I can get one if you force my hand," Tragg warned again.

"Then by all means come back with a warrant." Mason smiled at the lieutenant. Under normal circumstances Perry would have talked to them after barging in, but he was already irritated with both of them for threatening to arrest him. Perry did not know where Lawrence Bradley was and he did not appreciate being called a liar. He and Della continued towards the door.

"Just a minute Perry," Hamilton said. "Let's call a truce here. We need to talk to you."

"If you want to call a truce then return to the lobby and Gertie will announce your arrival. Otherwise, Della and I are leaving. I do not barge into either of your offices without being announced and I expect the same courtesy." Mason did not like taking this route but he was just mad enough to stand his ground.

Della knew Perry had been upset by the accusations the two men had made regarding Lawrence Bradley, but it was completely out of character for him to insist they leave. He normally, even though he would get upset with Tragg for barging into his office, would let him get away with it. She continued to follow him to the door.

"Alright, Mason, you win," Tragg said. He walked past Perry and Della to the door. Hamilton Burger, not happy with Mason, followed him out the door.

Mason shut his office door, walked over to his desk and sat down. Della joined him behind the desk waiting for the intercom to buzz. When it did Della picked up the phone to a bewildered Gertie.

"Miss Street, Lieutenant Tragg and Hamilton Burger would like to speak with you."

"I will be right out," Della told her. She walked around Perry's desk to the door and opened it. Tragg and Burger walked in.

Perry acted as if nothing had happened. He stood up, smiling and said, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Hamilton Burger, whose anger hand not subsided a bit, opened his mouth to say something when Tragg put his hand on his arm. They may have come to Mason's office to try to bully him into telling them where Lawrence Brady was, but the lawyer had taken the wind out of their sails. They were not going to get any information by trying to bully him. Nor could they get it with an arrest warrant. They had bluffed when they said they knew Mason knew where Bradley was, and Mason had called their bluff. It was time to take a different approach.

"We need your help, Perry. We have a warrant for your client's arrest as you know. We have not been able to locate him. If you have put him in a hotel under his own name, we certainly have not been able to find out which one. This looks bad for your client. So if you know where he is, you need to have him turn himself in."

"This morning you both said you knew that I had him hidden and if I did not produce him by tonight, you would swear out a warrant for my arrest. Well, I have not produced him, so where is your warrant?" Perry asked.

"Alright, we don't have proof that you know where he is. We don't have a warrant," Hamilton admitted. "Lawrence Bradley is wanted on suspicion of the murder of his wife. Now, I am asking you, do you know where he is? Flat out, yes or no?"

"I already told you that I did not know where he is. I have Paul Drake and his men out searching for him. When they find him, I will have him turn himself in," Mason assured them.

"You must have some idea where he went," Tragg insisted.

"Well, I don't. I am as much in the dark as you are on his location."

"Where are Drake's men looking?" Burger inquired.

Mason had no desire to tell them about the man in the wheelchair that resided somewhere in the Sierra Mountains. He had to talk to Lawrence Bradley before Tragg and Burger did. Only then would he have Bradley turn himself into the police.

"I have not heard from Paul yet, Hamilton. When he calls I will certainly let you know if they have found him," Mason said. He stood up from his desk. He did not have anymore time to give them. He had an appointment with Amy's doctor and he intended to keep it.

"You can't even venture a guess as to where he is?" Tragg said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Lieutenant, if I even thought I knew where he was, I would be out looking for him right now. I honestly do not know where he is. He did not consult me before he left for where ever he is."

"Perry, if we find out you knew where he was all along, I will not hesitate to charge you with accessory after the fact," Hamilton warned.

"I told you I don't know where he is," Mason was unable to keep the anger out of his voice. He was tired of the accusations the two men kept throwing at him. "I will have him turn himself in, if and when Paul finds him. Now, if you will excuse me. I have an appointment to keep," he said, making it clear the discussion was over.

Tragg and Burger left the office. When they reached the elevator, Burger complained, "We certainly bullied him into telling us where Bradley is."

Tragg pushed the button on the elevator. When it arrived on their floor, the doors opened and they stepped in. "I don't think he actually knows where he is, Hamilton."

"I am beginning to think you are right. He normally produces them when he is pushed," Hamilton said.

"Mason said he had an appointment. I think we should follow him and see where he goes," Tragg suggested. "He might lead us to Bradley."

"I thought you said you believed him."

"I do, but I am going to follow him just in case I am wrong."

They got out of the elevator on the ground floor and left the Brent Building. Tragg led Burger back to his car. After getting into the vehicle, Tragg started it up, drove the vehicle to the far side of the parking lot. There they sat waiting for Perry Mason and Della Street to appear.

xxxx

Eve Whitfield looked at the clock again. It was now seven o'clock and they had not heard from the chief. It would have taken him a bit of time to reach Ore Franklin's shack but he should have called by now. She glanced over at Ed and noticed he too was staring at the clock. Maybe it was time she say something about it to Ed. She would not be able to check on the chief without Brown's okay as he was her superior officer.

Fortunately Mark was not a cop and had no qualms about questioning Ed about not checking on Chief Ironside. Mark walked over to the table Brown was working at. "Ed don't you think it is time we check on the chief? He should have called by now."

Brown checked his watch. "He may have stopped somewhere on the way to eat. There would not be any food at the shack."

Now that Mark had brought it up, Eve felt free to question the situation. "And he could have run into trouble. It would not hurt to at least call him to be sure he arrived there safely."

"He may just have forgotten to call," Brown said.

"The chief, not call?" Mark questioned. "You must be kidding. Does he ever forget anything?"

"Well, no, but you know how he hates it when we check on him when he is alone," Ed pointed out.

"I would rather he get mad at us, Ed. I am not going to be able to sleep tonight if I don't know whether he arrived up there safely."

"Eve is right. I think we should at least give him a call," Mark agreed.

"Okay, but which one of us is going to do it?" Ed asked.

"You are the one in charge," Eve said. She wanted to check on him, but she did not want to be the one to do it. Ed was right about one thing, he did not like them checking up on him, unless he actually got in trouble. How were they to know if he was in trouble if they did not check?

"You want to check on him, but you want me to make the call? What about one of you making it?" the sergeant suggested.

Mark figured they would play this game for the rest of the night if he did not intervene. He had been on the receiving end of the chief's wrath many times. One more time was not going to make any difference. None of them was going to get any sleep if they did not make sure he made it to the Sierra Mountains safely.

Sanger picked up the phone and dialed the chief's cellphone number. He wait as the call connected and began to ring. It continued to ring until Mark hung it up. "He's not answering."

"I knew it!" Eve said. "Something is wrong."

Ed reached into his pocket. He would try to call the chief. Maybe Mark's phone was not getting through. Then he noticed he had a text message. He checked to see who it was from. It read Robert Ironside. He smiled and told his friends, "You can quit panicking, the chief texted me a while ago. He made it to Gold Strike alright."

Eve took the phone out of Ed's hand and read the message. "This says he made it to Gold Strike, not to Ore Franklin's cabin. How can we be sure he made it there? I still think we should check on him. He is not answering his phone."

"He just made a long drive. Maybe he went to bed. I doubt he would stay in Franklin's shack. He is probably staying in Gold Strike," Mark surmised.

"So you are siding with Ed?" Eve said.

"There are no sides, Eve. The chief said he would check in once a day. He has done that. I am not going to call and check on him when he has already contacted us to let us know he arrived safely. Isn't that what you were worried about in the first place?" Ed asked.

"Well, yes, but I still think we should keep calling him until we reach him," Eve said.

"Eve, he's fine. He checked in. We are going to leave it at that. Tomorrow he will probably make a call to us rather than a text message," Ed said.

"Alright," Eve said, giving in.

"I think it is time to call it a night," Brown said, getting up.

Ed and Eve headed up the ramp after saying goodnight to Mark.

xxxx

When Ironside pulled up to the cabin Lawrence Bradley had directed him to, he recognized it immediately. He had been here before. It was Charles Huff's cabin. It was where he had been held against his will by Huff, his son, George and Marshall Douglas. He was beginning to wonder if Mark had been right when he said he could be walking into a trap.

"We are going to be staying here for a few days. I want you to get to know Amy. Then you can contact the doctors and convince them to help her." He pulled the keys out of the ignition and jumped out of the van.

Ironside reached forward to check the police radio. It had been disconnected. He checked to see if he could fix it. Bradley had removed all of the connecting wires to the set. Ironside picked up the mobile phone. It too had been disconnected. Bradley made sure he would be unable to call anyone for help.

Then he remembered he had his cell phone with him. Reaching into his suit coat pocket, he pulled it out. Chief Ironside pressed the phone application and hand-dialed his office phone number. Putting the smartphone to his ear, he listened. Nothing. He lowered the phone and looked at the screen. It had no signal. Although not surprised, he cursed under his breath. He was completely cut off from anyone he could call on for help.

"Chief, what's wrong?" Amy asked him. "You seem so upset."

Ironside saw no reason to scare or upset her. Of course he was upset. He had once again been kidnapped and brought to the same cabin as the last time he was here. There just was no reason to explain to the little girl that her father was not only a kidnapper, but also was wanted for the murder of her mother. He smiled at her to reassure her. "Nothing is wrong, Amy. I was just checking the phone to call my office, but it seems it is not working."

"I am just so excited to meet you. I have seen you on television. My Daddy says you can help me get my operation."

He did not know what to say to the girl. Bradley was under the mistaken impression that just because he was in a wheelchair, that he was going to be able to convince this doctor, whoever he was, to allow Amy the experimental operation.

If only he had not texted Ed to let him know that he had made it to Gold Strike, Sergeant Brown would already be on his way up here to find out what happened to him. Now, it would be another twenty-four hours before they would realize that there was anything wrong. Ed would check Franklin's shack, but he would have no idea to check this place. Only Mark would know where this cabin was. If Ed did not bring Mark with him, then it might take him a while to figure out where Lawrence Bradley had taken him. By that time, Bradley might have moved him somewhere else.

Right now the only thing he had going for him was Bradley did not know that Ironside contacted his office every day. If he did not make that call, Ed would automatically be headed here.

"Chief, you did not answer me," he heard Amy say.

"I said I am alright," Ironside told her.

"That is not what I asked you. I asked you if you have ever tried to get help to get out of that chair."

Ironside smiled at the little girl. "I have, but my situation is hopeless. It cannot be reversed. I will always be in this wheelchair."

"Then you must understand that I must have this operation. My daddy says this is not permanent, that someday I will walk again."

"Again? I thought you were born with the problem."

"Yes, that is true but my back can be fixed," Amy told him. "Are you going to help me, Chief Ironside?"

Ironside, again lost for what to tell her, said nothing. "That will up to your father," he finally said.

Lawrence Bradley came back to the van. He opened the passenger side of the vehicle. "Come on, Chief. Get out of the van. You are coming inside.

Not seeing that he had any other choice, Ironside got into the lift. He pressed the button, the tray slid out and lowered him to the ground.

"Cool!" Amy shouted with delight. Can I try it?"

Ironside smiled at the little girl. He pressed the button and the lift raised back to the level of the van floor. "Wheel on to the tray, Amy."

She did as she was told to do. Ironside pushed the button and Amy was lowered to the ground just as the chief had been moments before. She wheeled off and went directly to Ironside. "That is so cool! Do you get to use it every day?"

He could not help but be affected by the girl's enthusiasm. "Yes, I do."

"And you can drive yourself?"

"You just saw me do it," he said to her softly.

"Do you think I would be able to drive myself someday?" Amy asked him.

"Of course you could."

"Don't tell her that, Ironside. She is not going to need anything like this van. She will be able to drive a normal vehicle once she has her operation. Now let's go inside." Bradley waved the gun toward the cabin.

Ironside began wheeling to the cabin. He glanced back and saw that Amy was following him in. When he got to the door, Bradley opened it. Ironside put his hands on both sides of the door frame and pulled himself through. Amy watched him and imitated his means of entering. She had never tried it before. She did not understand why he entered a room that way. She always just wheeled herself into the room like she wheeled everywhere else. She did not realize that Ironside's chair was much wider, and the reason he did it was to keep from scraping his knuckles against the door frame.

The chief looked over at the bar, remembering how he had tricked Charles Huff into getting him a drink. He had grabbed his arm and pulled him across the bar, knocking him out with the side of his hand. This was one place he had hoped never to see again.

"Stay here, Ironside," Bradley ordered him. He disappeared down the hall. The chief immediately went to the phone, picked it up and checked for a dial tone. There was none. Obviously Bradley had disconnected the phones.

Within a minute, Bradley came back into the room with Charles Huff. Huff took one look at the detective and said, "Hello, Mister Ironside."

"Mister Huff, are you part of this?"

"No, I did not have you kidnapped. I had no idea who he was bringing here. He only mentioned his daughter," Huff said.

"But you allowed this?"

Huff shook his head. "No Mister Ironside. I told you I did not have you kidnapped. This man showed up at my door to use the telephone and knocked me out. He later told me he intended to bring his daughter here, and if I cooperated he would not harm me. He tied me up while he was away."

Ironside looked at Lawrence Bradley. "You now are guilty of three counts of felony kidnapping."

"Two, Chief," Bradley corrected.

"Three, you forgot to count your daughter," Ironside said.

"I cannot kidnap my own daughter."

"Tell that to the police when they arrest you," Ironside snarled.

Bradley ignored Ironside. "Mister Huff, Amy has not had anything to eat. Would you mind fixing her a sandwich or something?"

Huff nodded. "Chief?"

"No thanks, I had dinner in town."

Charles Huff headed into the kitchen to make something for Amy to eat.

Ironside watched Lawrence Bradley closely, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables on him. If Charles Huff was telling the truth, Ironside would enlist his help to overtake Bradley. After all there were two of them against only him. Ironside had taken Charles Huff by himself in this very cabin.

The chief started to wheel towards the kitchen. Lawrence Bradley stepped in front of him. "Where do you think you are going?"

"Exactly where do you think I can go?" Ironside snapped. "I am going to see if I can help Mister Huff. Now, get out of my way."

Bradley smiled. "Your reputation for being crusty is well deserved. He bowed and stepped aside.

Ironside wheeled into the kitchen. He stopped his chair directly beside Huff. "Well, Mister Huff, I did not think we would ever meet again."

Huff smiled. "Neither did I, Chief. Tell me, who is this man and what does he want?"

"Then you really are not part of this?" Ironside asked skeptically.

"I do not hold any grudges against you, Mister Ironside. You did what you had to do. Believe me, I did not know that my son had killed Ore Franklin. I actually believed that he went away somewhere. I did not intend to harm you. I just wanted that piece of property so the highway could be built through there."

"How did you become involved in this?"

"Like I said, he showed up at my door and asked me if he could use the telephone. He said his truck conked out. I saw no harm in letting him in to use the phone. The next thing I knew I was waking up in one of the bedrooms with my hands and feet tied."

"Where is your vehicle?" Ironside asked.

"He hid it in the brush. He removed something from it so that it would not run," Huff said. "What about the keys to your van?"

"He has the only set that I have with me. I could hot-wire the van if we could get into it, but he locked all the doors."

Huff smiled. "Now I know how you felt about being forced to stay here against your will. By the way, Chief, I am sorry about that."

Ironside waved him off. "You paid your dues. It's all in the past. Where is that rifle that you showed me when I was a prisoner here?

"Locked in the gun safe," Huff said.

"And the key?"

"Bradley has it."

"Damn it," Ironside cursed. "We will have to figure something out."

"I have answered your questions, now how about you answer mine. Who is this man and what does he want from you?"

Ironside explained the contents of a note he got that was only signed by Amy and how he ended up here. He told him of how Lawrence Bradley forced him to come with him.

"How does he think you can help get the little girl an operation?" Huff asked.

"I don't know, but I felt compelled to try to help," Ironside answered.

"I don't understand why he didn't just ask for your help. Why abduct you by gunpoint?" Huff wondered aloud.

"Because he is wanted on suspicion of the murder of his wife in Los Angeles. He knew I would not help him unless he turned himself in."

"If he has killed his wife, then he has nothing to lose. He could kill again. What is the evidence against him?"

"You better get that food into the living room before he becomes suspicious," Ironside said. "We will talk more later."

xxxx

The plane landed smoothly at the airport. Paul Drake looked out the window as it touched down. Perry Mason had given him the job of finding Lawrence Bradley. The only clue he had was that the man in the wheelchair lived somewhere in the Sierra Mountains. That took up a lot of territory.

As the plane came to a full stop, Paul stood up, stretched and reached into the overhead compartment. After removing his luggage, he waited for the other passengers in front of him to leave the aircraft. Once he deplaned, Drake headed for the rental car desk. He shrugged off several vehicles the clerk tried to give him.

"I need a Jeep, something that can handle rough terrain," Drake told the man.

"You are in luck, Mister, we have only one left. People seemed to like to take them into the mountains." He had Paul fill out the proper paperwork, checked his drivers license and turned the key to the vehicle over to him. "It's in E7."

Paul thanked him, picked up his suitcase and headed out into the parking garage to pick up his rented car. As he pulled it out of the garage, he asked the attendant at the exit. "Which way to Gold Strike?"

"Head north," he told him.

Paul turned to the north in hopes he could get a lead on Lawrence Bradley in Gold Strike. He didn't know why he picked that city, but he had to start somewhere, and Gold Strike was certainly near the Sierra Mountains.

Drake pressed down on the accelerator and headed north.


	5. Chapter 5

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 5

Perry Mason Della Street arrived at the medical office of Doctor Norman Fraser. Mason shut off his Cadillac and got out of the car. He walked around, opened the door and helped Della out of the vehicle.

Mason took her elbow and together they walked to the door of the medical facility. Perry opened the door and allowed Della to walk in ahead of him. He looked around the waiting room. All of the patients waiting to see the doctor were either using crutches or were in wheelchairs. Perry led Della to two empty chairs and gestured for her to sit down.

Mason walked over to the window. Behind the rectangular opening, he could see several employees sitting in front of computers, answering phones and doing other various jobs. One of them walked up to the window when she saw the handsome attorney approach.

"Hello, Mister Mason. I recognize you from pictures in the paper and news reports on television." She checked the scheduled but did not see his name on it. "Are you here to see the doctor?"

Mason smiled. By now, he was used to being recognized where ever he went. "I am here to see him but not in a medical capacity, at least not for me. I was wondering if he could possibly fit me in."

"My name is Jennifer. I will check with him as soon as he finishes with his current patient."

"Thank you," Mason said with a smile. He watched her disappear through the door that led to the examination rooms. Mason turned around, returned to Della and sat down.

"Will he see you?" she asked him.

"I don't know yet. Jennifer is checking for me."

"Jennifer?" Della repeated, amused. "You already know her name."

Mason grinned. "She told me her name."

"Was that before or after she drooled all over you?" Della said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Jealous?" Perry asked, grinning.

"No. I know she doesn't have a chance," Della said.

Mason chuckled and again looked around the lobby. Four of the people in the room were in wheelchairs. He immediately thought of his brother who was also in a wheelchair. Only, unlike a lot of people who simply lived on social security disability, Robert Ironside did not allow it to slow him down, at least not much. He wondered how many of the four realized that there was much they still could do. Bob was still working for the San Francisco Police Department solving crimes.

Lawrence Bradley's daughter had never walked a day in her young life. At least Bob had spent most of his life on his feet. When Perry thought about it, he didn't know which was worse; to walk and loose the ability to do so, or never to know what it was like to walk at all. He had never thought about it until he had learned that Robert Ironside was his half-brother. However, now he realized he rarely thought about his brother being in a wheelchair. He was so independent and determined to live life to the fullest that Perry just did not think about his brother's disability, except when he had to drag him through the woods in the Sawtooth Mountains. * His injured knee made him painfully aware of Bob's disability.

Mason was brought out of his thoughts when a little boy wheeled his chair over to the lawyer and parked it in front of him. Mason had been staring into space thinking about his brother.

Della elbowed the lawyer. Perry looked down at the little boy and smiled. "Well, hello there, young man."

"My mommy says you have a brother that is in a wheelchair and he is a policeman."

"Your mommy is right," Mason said. "Actually, he is a police detective."

"How can he be a policeman when he is in a wheelchair?" the boy asked.

"Because he solves crimes with his mind."

The boy looked at Mason, obviously thinking about what he had been told.

"Do you think I could be a detec... a policeman?"

Mason decided to put a plug in for his own profession. "Why don't you be a lawyer? You could still learn the law, solve crimes and help people who did not do what they are accused of."

"Accused?" The boy did not seem to understand the word. "What does that mean?

Mason smiled. "It is when someone says you did something you did not do."

The boy thought about it and said, "Do you think I could be a lawyer like you?"

"Sure you can," Perry told him.

"Even though I am in a wheelchair?"

"A wheelchair doesn't stop my brother from being a detective. There are lots of things you can do if you don't let that chair stop you," Mason told him.

A grin broke across his face. "I could be even better than you!"

"You sure could," Mason said.

"I am going to tell my mommy!" The boy turned his chair around and wheeled back to his mother.

Della looked at the lawyer. He displayed a look of admiration for the man who was not just her boss, but the man she loved. "You were wonderful with that little boy, Mister Mason."

"I only wish Bob had been here to talk to him. He would have had more of an impact on him then I possibly could," Perry said.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I think you had a big impact on him," she said.

"Mister Mason," Jennifer called out.

Mason got up and went to the desk. "Yes."

"The doctor will see you now, but he will not have much time. As you can see, we are pretty busy today."

"Thank you." Perry walked back to Della as she stood up. He took her by the elbow and escorted her through the door Jennifer was holding open. They followed her as she led them to the doctor's office.

Jennifer knocked on the doctor's door. A voice from behind it called out, "Come in." She opened the door, stood back and allowed Mason to enter in front of her.

"Doctor, this is Mister Mason and Miss Street." She looked at Perry and Della and said, "Doctor Fraser." She left the office and shut the door.

Fraser stood up and met Perry and Della in the middle of the room. He put out his hand and shook Mason's hand, and then nodded in Della's direction. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you."

"The pleasure is ours," Mason said.

"I have an idea why you are here, which is why I agreed to see you in the first place. I don't believe for a minute that Lawrence murdered his wife. I read in the paper that you are his lawyer."

"That is right," Mason confirmed. "I am hoping that you will help me."

"Please sit down, Mister Mason." He indicated the chairs in front of his desk. The lawyer and secretary seated themselves and waited for the doctor to walk around and sit down in the executive desk chair. "Before we start, I feel obligated to tell you that the district attorney, Hamilton Burger and Lieutenant Tragg have already called me to Burger's office."

"Did Mister Burger tell you that you would be a witness for the prosecution?" Mason asked.

"He only said there was a possibility if they are able to find Lawrence."

Della looked at Perry. She expected him to go ahead with his questions since Burger had not secured Fraser as a witness. He could not be accused by Hamilton of trying to intimidate a prosecution witness.

"Do you have any idea where Mister Bradley could have gone?" Mason asked.

Fraser shook his head. "I am afraid not. I don't know where any of the members of his family live, if he has any. Other than family, I really don't know where he could have gone."

"Could you tell me more about Amy's condition? Do you know why Mister Bradley thinks this new procedure will make her walk again, and what this new procedure is?"

"Again, Doctor Fraser shook his head. "I don't have any idea what the procedure is. As far as why Lawrence thinks she can walk again, I believe it is just a father's desperate attempt to help his child."

"What is wrong with her spine?" Della asked.

"Mister Mason should be familiar with that because of his famous brother. I believe when Chief Ironside was shot, it shattered a nerve conjunction in his spine, is that correct?"

"It is," Perry confirmed.

"Thereby making it impossible for him to ever walk again. Amy's problem is very similar. She was born with a shatter nerve conjunction in her spine. It is not much different than what your brother suffered in that shooting."

"Then it is your belief that her condition is permanent?" Perry asked, sure he already knew the answer to his question.

"It is, at least it is as far as any known procedure that I am aware of," Doctor Fraser said. "However, Lawrence refused to accept that. He has been running her from doctor to doctor, only to get the same diagnosis."

"Did he tell you anything about this new procedure or the doctors that are offering it?" Della asked.

Fraser responded, "No, in fact, he has not told me about the last two or three that he has taken Amy to. I have encouraged him to accept her disability and help Amy accept it as well. As you know, Mister Mason, being in a wheelchair does not mean a person cannot live a full, productive life. Your brother is living proof of it."

"Yes, Bob has not allowed it to slow him down much," Mason confirmed. "Do you know who this prominent person in a wheelchair whose help he is trying to enlist?"

"I have no idea."

Perry nodded. "Do you think he is obsessed with trying to find someone to help his daughter to walk?"

"There is no doubt in my mind, yes, and I believe that is what the prosecution will claim. That is what they will have me testify to, if they find Lawrence."

"Believe me, Doctor, they will find him. I have known Lieutenant Tragg for years. He is very determined and very resourceful."

"I hope you will help him, Mister Mason. I have known him for years. He loved Karen. This obsession with finding a doctor to help Amy has caused problems between them, but he would never harm her."

Mason stood up. "We better let you get back to your patients. I appreciate your time and help."

"If I can help Lawrence accept his daughter's condition, I would do anything I can."

Perry shook hands with him, and he and Della left his office. When he entered the lobby, a woman walked up to him.

"Mister Mason, I would like to thank you for encouraging my son, Neil." She laughed and told him, "Now he can't make up his mind whether he wants to be a police detective like Chief Ironside or a lawyer like you."

Perry and Della both chuckled. "Tell him lawyers make more money. That should take care of him wanting to be a police detective."

The woman laughed with Perry and Della, kissed him on the cheek and returned to her son. As the couple walked out the door, Della pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped the lipstick from Mason's cheek.

xxxx

Robert Ironside watched Lawrence Bradley as he paced back and forth in the living room. So far, neither he nor Charles Huff had been able to get through to him. Ironside had not been able to get past his obsession with helping his daughter to get out of the wheelchair. Bradley had been just as unsuccessful in convincing the detective to help him to influence the doctor's to operate on Amy.

Amy wheeled over to Robert Ironside. Whatever anger and frustration he felt for Lawrence Bradley melted away when the little girl approached him. Her father was acutely aware she had taken to the gruff man in the wheelchair. He had convinced himself it was only because the man was also confined to one.

"Mister Ironside, how long have you been in that wheelchair?" Amy asked him

Ironside smiled at her. "A while now."

"But you were able to walk before?"

"Yes," he told her.

"What happened?"

"I was shot," he answered.

Amy put her hand over her mouth. "You were shot?"

"Yes."

"But you are still a police officer. How can you still do that. My daddy says you can't do anything when you are in a wheelchair."

"I solve crimes with my mind not my legs, Amy. There are many things you can do. Being in a wheelchair only cripples your body, not your mind. You will learn to do many things. You can live life to the fullest if you accept your disability; figure out what you are able to, not obsess with what you can't do."

Lawrence Bradley angrily said, "Don't listen to him! You are not going to stay in that wheelchair. When you have your operation, you will walk."

Ironside turned his chair to Bradley. "You are not helping her, Mister Bradley. She can learn to do much if given the chance."

"You don't know what you are talking about, Ironside. Just because you can't be helped doesn't mean she can't. She is not going to stay in that chair."

"What do the experts say?" the chief asked.

"They are wrong. This new procedure will work. I know it will."

"In other words, they have told you it is permanent. Soon or later you will have to accept it, and then Amy will learn ..."

"Shut up! Don't listen to him, Amy," Bradley shouted.

"But you told me Chief Ironside would tell me the truth," she said confused.

"Amy, I want you to go to your room."

"But daddy, I want to talk to Chief Ironside," she protested.

"Do as you are told!" he ordered her.

Amy looked at her father in confusion. She felt Ironside's hand on hers. "Go ahead," he said, softly, "We'll talk later."

Amy nodded at Ironside, looked at her father and then wheeled out of the room. When she was out of sight, Lawrence Bradly sat down and put his hand over his face.

"I brought you here to help me, Ironside. Don't go telling her she is going to be in that chair forever. You are going to help me with the doctors. She will have her surgery and she will walk. Do you understand me?"

Ironside looked him straight in the eye. "I told you, I will not help you until you turn yourself in."

"You will help me. You are not leaving here until you agree to help us." His attention turned to Charles Huff when he snorted. "Have you got something to say, Huff?"

"Take it from someone who knows, he will not help you. I know this man. He will not excuse breaking the law. I have been in your position. I held this man in this very cabin and could not break him, and neither will you. He refused to make a deal with me, and he will not make one with you. You are wasting his time and yours," Huff told him.

"He'll help. Sooner or later, he will help." Bradley got up and went out the front door to calm his temper.

"How are you holding up, Mister Huff?" Ironside asked.

"I am alright, Chief. I guess I can handle it, you did. I am sorry about all this," Huff said sincerely.

"It's not your fault, this time." Ironside raised his eyebrows.

Huff smiled. "I learned my lesson. By the way, you wouldn't want to sell Ore's old place, would you? I would give you a good price for it and won't try to force you this time."

"I'll tell you what, if you help me with a way out of this, I'll think about it."

"I am more than willing to help you and without a promise that you will think about it. I want you to sell it willingly this time."

"I will still think about it. Now tell me, do you have any fish line around here?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, of course. What do you have in mine?"

"Get it."

Huff left the room and returned with the fish line. He reached out to hand it to the detective. Ironside did not take it. "We are going to have to hurry. He could come back at anytime. Stretch it across the bottom of the door. I'll secure it on this end, you do it on the other end."

Huff handed Ironside the one end of the fish line. The detective wheeled to the one side while Huff headed for the other side. The chief looked for something to anchor it to. He pushed a heavy chair back to the wall and tied the fish line around the back leg. "Okay, Mister Huff, secure that end."

Charles used the leg of a table on the other side, tied the fish line around it and pulled it tight. "Done, Chief."

"Turn off that lamp," Ironside instructed him. Huff reached over to the lamp that was on the table he had just tied the fish line to. He shut the light off.

"Now what?" Huff asked.

Satisfied that the lighting was dim enough that Bradley would not see the fish line, Ironside said, "When he trips, we move in."

Huff nodded. He reached over and grabbed a vase and the two men waited. Fifteen minutes later, Lawrence Bradley opened the door. He saw Ironside a few feet in front of him.

"You are going to help us, Iron... " He came in contact with the fish line, tripped over it and fell to the floor. Ironside and Huff moved in. Huff raised the vase over Bradley's head and brought it down. Lawrence Bradley caught it in his peripheral vision. Using is right foot, he swung it and kicked Huff in the leg. It was just enough to knock him backwards. At the same time, Ironside wheeled forward, but Bradley had enough time to pull his gun from the belt on his waist. He shoved it at Ironside just as the detective reached him. "Back off!"

Chief Ironside wheeled backwards, not having any other choice. Bradley stood up. Ironside wheeled over to Charles. "Are you alright, Mister Huff?"

"Yeah, I am okay." He got up from the floor as the two of them faced their captor.

With the gun still held on them, Bradley said, "Now you know why I removed everything in the house you could use as a weapon. I had heard about your ability to use the things around you, Chief Ironside. I see I did not take it seriously enough. You are very clever, but unfortunately for you, you have just forfeited your ability to move around here freely."

Bradley waved the gun towards the bedroom. "Move gentlemen."

When neither man made an attempt to accommodate him, he shouted, "Move!" as he cocked the gun.

"Come on, Mister Huff," Ironside said.

Charles Huff followed him down the hall. When they reached the same bedroom that Robert Ironside had been held prisoner the last time he was here, Bradley said, "Get in there."

Huff followed the detective into the room. The door closed behind them, and they heard the key turn in the door. "Chief, it seems to me you used the electricity on Marshall Douglas; do you think you could do it again?"

Ironside reached over to the light switch and pushed it upwards. Looking up at the ceiling, he looked at the light that did not come on. "I am afraid not. He has turned off the electricity to this room."

"Damn it!" Huff swore.

"It is just a set back, Mister Huff. Bradley doesn't know it but I report into my staff at least once a day. Sergeant Brown might let it go one night, but he won't the second night."

"You mean your staff will come looking for you."

"You can count on it," Ironside told him.

xxxx

Paul Drake sat at the auto repair shop near Gold Strike, California. Several miles from the town, the rented vehicle had overheated. After getting the only towing company in town on the phone, they had agreed to come and tow the vehicle to the nearest repair shop, which was about a mile from town. That had been three hours ago. Paul had smoked nearly a half a pack of cigarettes and drank so many cans of Cokes that he had lost count.

The private eye walked back into the garage to check on the progress of the mechanic that was supposed to be repairing the vehicle. "Hey, pal, how much longer?"

The mechanic pushed the dolly out from underneath the truck he was working on. He stood up, grabbed a rag and wiped the grease from his hands. "It would be fixed right now if I had all the parts. I called and I have them coming in, but quite frankly, I don't think they will be in today. You might as well get a hotel room and get yourself something to eat. I promise you I will have it fix just as soon as I get the part I need."

Frustrated, Paul knew the man was right. He had already wasted three hours sitting here when he could have been questioning people to locate Lawrence Bradley. "Any chance I can borrow a vehicle?"

The mechanic looked at him and wondered where he had seen him before. "Do I know you?"

Paul decided it was time to take advantage of Perry Mason's notoriety. He pulled his private investigator identification out of his pocket, showed it to the man and said, "I work for Perry Mason, a lawyer from Los Angeles."

Recognition appeared on the man's face. "You helped Mason and Ironside clear the president." *

"That's right," Paul said, hoping that would assure him enough to lend him a vehicle.

He stood there looking at Paul and wiping grease from his fingers before saying, "I guess you are alright." He pointed at a pickup truck parked in the parking lot. "You can take the Ford truck. If you leave your number, I will call when your vehicle is done." He walked over to the desk where there was a cork board and pulled a set a keys down. He flipped the keys to Paul. "There is a restaurant and a motel on the main street." He took the phone number from Drake and went back to working on the vehicle.

Paul left the garage, got into the vehicle and headed for Gold Strike. He had no problem finding the motel and the restaurant the mechanic had mentioned. The detective decided to get something to eat before checking into the motel. Entering the restaurant, Drake selected a table and sat down. A few minutes later, a waitress came over to his table.

"Hello, my name is Beverly. I will be your waitress tonight. She gave him a menu."

"My name is Paul Drake." He pulled a picture of Lawrence Bradley out of his pocket. Have you seen this man before?"

Beverly recognized the man immediately. "Yes, he was in here yesterday. He sat down with the man in a wheelchair."

"Man in a wheelchair? Did you know who he was?"

"Of course, everyone around here knows who he is. He's the man that arrested our sheriff and the Huffs," she told him. "You know, the one they held prisoner, trying to get him to agree to ignore the fact that George had killed Ore Franklin."

A man in a wheelchair that arrested the sheriff and the Huffs! Paul knew of only one man in a wheelchair that could arrest people. "You mean the cop in a wheelchair from San Francisco?"

"Yep, that's the one. Chief Ironside. I waited on him yesterday when he came in."

"And that man was with him?" Drake asked.

She handed the picture back to him. "Yes, but the chief asked me if I knew the man because he had been staring at him. I had never seen him before, but he sure looked a lot like that guy that murdered his wife in Los Angeles. You know, the one that has been on the television. They looked like they were having a disagreement but they must have solved it because they left together."

Paul played a hunch. "Did this man leave with his hands in his pockets?"

She frowned. "Come to think of it, he did."

Paul threw a five dollar bill down on the table and said, "I need to find a phone."

"Are you going to stay in town?" she asked.

"Yes, I thought I would check in the motel down the street."

"They will let you make long distance calls from your room when you check in because they will have your credit card number."

"Thanks," Paul said and hurried out of the restaurant.

xxxx

Ed Brown could not concentrate on bank robberies. The chief had been right, it should have been assigned to the Robbery Division. The only thing on his mind was his boss. He could tell by the nervous energy radiating from Mark and Eve that it was on their minds as well. Eve was tapping the eraser end of her pencil on the chief's desk. He looked over at Mark, who was pacing back and forth, looking at the phone and then glancing at Ed.

Eve headed into the kitchenette and poured herself another cup of coffee. She did not return to the chief's desk. Instead, she sat down at the table next to Ed and stared at her superior officer. Ed did not have to look at her to know she was staring. He could feel her eyes on him.

Mark noticed Eve and decided to join her. He sat down on the other side of Ed. Brown could now feel both of them staring at him. He looked up and said, "If he doesn't call within an hour, I'll call the commissioner and we are out of here."

The phone rang. All three of them reached for the phone. "It's the chief," Ed said, "and it is about time." Eve and Mark backed off and Ed punched the speaker button. "Chief Ironside's office."

"Ed, Paul Drake," he said identifying himself immediately. "I am calling from Gold Strike."

Refers to my fanfiction, The Case of the Angry Mountain

Refers to my fanfiction, The Case of the Politician's Wife


	6. Chapter 6

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 6

"Gold Strike!" Ed said excitedly. "What are you doing there?"

"Perry sent me up here to find Lawrence Bradley," Paul explained.

"Who is Lawrence Bradley?" Eve asked Paul.

"A client of Perry's. His wife was murdered recently and the police are looking for him."

"Why are you looking in Gold Strike of all places?" Mark remembered the last time he was there. The hair on the back of his neck was beginning to rise. Was this the beginning of another nightmare they experienced like the last time?

"I am calling you because I think the chief may be in trouble," Paul told him. He went on to tell him about Bradley and his obsession to help his daughter get out of her wheelchair; how he was trying to enlist the help of a prominent man also in a wheelchair.

Ed finally found his voice. "Paul, is Bradley's daughter's name Amy?"

This time it was Paul's turn to go silent. After a moment, he answered Ed. "Yes, exactly how did you know?"

"The chief got a letter from a little girl named Amy. It did not contain her last name, but the post was from Gold Strike," Ed said.

"Ed, he left that restaurant with a man matching Lawrence Bradley's description. The waitress said they seemed to be arguing when the man sat down at the chief's table."

Ed, Eve and Mark were silent just long enough that Paul thought he might have been disconnected. "Ed, you still there?"

"Yes, we're still here. If Bradley has the chief, what exactly does he want from him?"

Paul told him about a new procedure, and how Bradley figured Ironside could help her get it.

"That is just what the letter to the chief said. He is not going to help him as long as he is a fugitive from justice," Ed said.

"I already figured that," Paul agreed, but I must tell you, I don't think Bradley is going to let him go until he agrees to help her."

"Then we have a problem," Eve said, entering the conversation. "That means we will have to find them. Do you have any idea where he may have taken the chief?"

"Not a clue at this time. I have not checked into that. As soon as I found out the chief was with Bradley, I decided to call you."

"Paul, the chief owns a shack up in the Sierra Mountains. He inherited it when his friend was killed. Just ask around town for directions to Ore Franklin's place. The chief may have been able to talk him into going there."

"I doubt it. Bradley is not stupid. He would realize it would be the first place we would look," Paul said.

"Can you check anyway? See if there is anything there that would give us an idea as to where he has taken the chief," Ed asked.

"Alright, I'll check. I'll contact you as soon as I get there. What are you going to do?"

Ed knew exactly what he was going to do. "I am going to contact the Commissioner and we are going to fly up there in one of the police choppers. We'll get in contact with you as soon as we arrive. And Paul, you better contact Perry and let him know our two cases just became one."

"I'll do that. Don't worry, Ed, we'll find the chief."

xxxx

Arthur Tragg picked up the ringing phone in his office. "Lieutenant Tragg, he said.

"Lieutenant, this is Sergeant Holcomb here. I just found out that Mason sent Paul Drake to the Sierra Mountains. He rented a car at the airport and asked for directions to Gold Strike."

"Gold Strike? Why would he send him up there?"

"The only reason I can think of is Mason knows where Lawrence Bradley is. He has been lying to us all along."

"I don't think so. If Perry had known where he was, he would have convinced him to turn himself in after the threats we made. It is more than likely that Drake is following a lead," Tragg said.

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I will take it from here." Tragg hung up the phone and dialed Hamilton Burger's office. When he finished telling Burger what they had learned, he hung up and dialed the airlines.

xxxx

Della could tell Perry's mind was not on the mail. He had not wanted to leave his office, figuring Paul would call with some news of Lawrence Bradley. She pointed out to him that they did not have to stay in the office to wait for a call from him. If Paul called the office and did not reach him, he would call Perry's cellphone. Still Perry did not want to leave.

When he was willing to work on the mail without being hounded to do so, Della decided to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, they had not gotten through very much of the mail. Perry just could not concentrate. When the phone finally did ring, Mason grabbed it before Della had a chance.

"Hello," Mason said to his caller.

"Perry, I am glad I reached you. I have some news for you ..."

"Did you locate Bradley?" Mason asked anxiously, interrupting Drake.

"Not yet, but I know he is up here," Paul said. "And Perry, I know who the man in the wheelchair is, whose help he is trying to enlist."

"Who is he, Paul?

"Robert Ironside," Drake said. Paul waited as there was dead silence at the other end of the phone. He waited for his friend to get over the initial shock and then said, "I have reason to believe that Bradley has taken Ironside against his will." Paul told Perry what he had learned from the waitress in the restaurant.

"Ed Brown has to be informed," Perry insisted.

"I already called him. He is going to talk to the commissioner and then fly up here," Drake informed him.

"I will have Della book us two flights. We will be there as soon as possible."

Paul had expected no less from Perry as soon as he found out his brother was involved.

"Where are you staying?" Mason asked.

"In the only hotel on the main street. "I'll book the two of you a room. Call me when you arrive."

"We will. And Paul, find Bob."

"I will." Paul hung up the phone.

xxxx

Ed drove his black Ford through the streets of San Francisco. He was not waiting until morning. He had to talk to the commissioner now. He could not stand by and do nothing when the chief was in trouble. The bank robbery investigation would have to wait, or the commissioner would need to assign someone else to them. They were not as important as finding the chief, at least not as far as Ed was concerned.

He had had a bad feeling about this trip from the beginning. Why did he wait another twenty four hours to check on the chief? Eve and Mark had wanted to do it the previous day, and he had not allowed it. Yet, he knew the chief would have read him the riot act for worrying about him. He had, after all, texted Ed to let him know that he arrived in Gold Strike safely.

It was almost uncanny the way Ironside and Mason were once again being drawn together. This time there would be no trial. Ed figured Ironside's brother would drop the client like a hot potato as soon as he found out the man had fled Los Angeles and kidnapped the chief.

Mason and Ironside could not be any closer as brothers if they had grown up together. The lawyer would be on the first plane north as soon as Paul Drake told him about Lawrence Bradley forcing the chief to go with him.

Ed pulled his car in front of Commissioner Randall's home. After shutting off the engine, he sat there for a moment. He was positive that Randall would send him to Gold Strike to find Ironside, but the investigation of the bank robberies he was supposed to be working had hardly been investigated. He was going to have to admit to the commissioner that he had nothing to report on them. Ed was not looking forward to doing that. He was not going to be happy, especially since he was against Chief Ironside taking a vacation when he had asked him to handle the bank robberies.

The chief had assigned Eve and him to handle the robberies before he left, and neither of them had really done any investigating.

Brown supposed he had put this off as long as he could. He had to talk to the commissioner if he was to fly up to Gold Strike and find out where the chief had disappeared to. Ed got out of his car, slammed the door and walked up the sidewalk leading to the front door of Commissioner Randall's home. After ringing the bell, Sergeant Brown waited for someone to answer. He looked at his watch, it was late and the commissioner was not going to be happy about being disturbed at this hour.

When no one came to the door on the first ring, Ed reached out and rang the doorbell again. A light came on in the hall and Ed could see Patricia Randall coming to the door. He peered out the window. When she saw it was Ed at the door, she unlocked it, opened it and smiled at the tall, handsome detective.

"Hello, Ed. I take it you want to talk to Dennis?"

"Yes, Mrs. Randall. Is he in?" Brown asked her.

"Yes, of course, but it is rather late,"she said.

"I realize that and I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but it is extremely important that I speak with the commissioner."

"Well, if it is that important, I will get Dennis. Please come in." Patricia Randall stepped back and allowed Ed Brown to enter the home. She led him to Randall's study. "If you'll wait here, Sergeant Brown, I will tell Dennis that you are here."

Ed thank Patricia and watched her leave the room. He looked around Randall's study when a particular picture on the wall caught his eye. It was a picture of the commissioner and Chief Ironside, but it was clear that it was at least twenty years old, judging by the ages of the two men in the photo. Robert Ironside was in a police uniform, Randall in plain clothes.

"That picture was taken when your boss joined the police force. He and I became fast friends." Randall walked over to the wall where the photo hung, among others. Ed could tell the picture was the most treasured by Randall. It was in the middle of many other photos, and it was in a much larger frame.

"I was chief of police when that was taken," Randall told him. "Your boss was special even then. I knew from the time we met that he would go far in the police department. He had excellent instincts and already had the ability to figure out crimes others could not. He went up the ranks faster than anyone ever had before.

"Well, Sergeant, I doubt that you came here to listen to me go down memory lane. It must be important or you would not be here this late."

"It is important, Commissioner."

"You've had a break in the bank robberies? the commissioner asked.

"Well no, not exactly, sir," Ed said.

"Then what is it?"

"Commissioner, I got a call from Paul Drake. He's in Gold Strike. Sir, have you heard about the man from Los Angeles that allegedly killed his wife and then disappeared?"

"Yes, I have. It is in all the newspapers. Bob's brother is his attorney, if I remember correctly." Randall realized where Ed was going with this. "Gold Strike! You said Drake called you from Gold Strike?"

"Yes, sir. Amy Bradley is the Amy in the letter that the chief received."

"And Bob walked into a trap. He disappeared and Drake believes that Lawrence Bradley is responsible, is that right?" Randall demanded.

"I am afraid so, but it is more than a belief. There was an eyewitness that said the chief left with a man that matched Bradley's description."

"Forced?" Randall asked. "Don't bother to answer that. Bob would not have gone with him willingly. He would have demanded that Bradley turn himself in."

Ed nodded. "That is what Paul thought, and I agree with that deduction.

"Sounds like Bob is in trouble," Randall said, concerned. "Sergeant, drop what you are doing and get up to Gold Strike to assist Drake. Find your boss and arrest Bradley."

"Yes, sir." Brown turned to leave when he heard the commissioner.

"Ed, I will assign the bank robberies to Lieutenant Reese. I am assuming if you have been worried about Bob, that you have not got much done on them. Keep me informed. You have a free hand. Find Bob and bring him back here unharmed. And don't forget to call Katherine. She is going to want to know and I don't want her to find out watching the news. We won't be able to keep a lid on this very long."

"Yes, sir." Ed turned away from his boss's boss and left the study.

xxxx

The door to the bedroom Robert Ironside and Charles Huff were being held in was unlocked and opened. Lawrence Bradley walked forward and set a tray of food on the dresser. On the tray of sandwiches and Pepsi, were two flashlights. One of them was on and the beam of light was pointed forward at the men.

"I am not much of a cook, so I made you ham and cheese sandwiches. There are two a piece and some Pepsi to wash it down with. When you are done, I will let you out one at a time for bathroom breaks.

"I am sorry about the darkness, but I remember reading how you used an electrical current to stop Marshall Douglas. I was not about to allow you to use it on me, so I shut off the breaker to this room," Lawrence informed them.

"Just how long do you plan on holding us here?" Ironside growled at his captor.

"As long as it takes for you to agree to help Amy," Lawrence Bradley said. "Look, Chief, I don't like doing this, but my daughter is very important to me. I want her to have every chance in life. I think you can give her that if you will just agree to help with the doctors. You know a lot of important people; you can help get the money for the surgery."

"And I told you, I will not help you until you turn yourself in," Ironside repeated.

"I can't do that right now. I swear to you, I did not kill Karen. How can I convince you?"

"By turning yourself in," Ironside said again. "Flight is a sign of a guilty man."

"I told you, you would get nowhere with him," Charles Huff said. "He means what he says. He is not going to help you unless you turn yourself in. I know from experience."

"He will change his mind, he has to," Lawrence Bradley backed out of the room and locked the door.

Ironside wheeled over to the dresser, It was a bit too high for him to pull the tray down. "Mister Huff, can you give me a hand?"

Huff walked over to the dresser and lifted the tray down. "Here, I will let you choose first. Do you want the sandwich on white or wheat bread?"

"I don't want anything. I already had dinner," Ironside said. He pulled the flashlights from the tray. We need to make use of these."

"What have you got in mind?" Huff asked.

"Do you have anything in this room that runs on D size batteries?" Ironside asked.

"Like what?" Huff said.

"I will know when you tell me what you have," Ironside said.

Huff thought for a minute with out speaking to him. There just wasn't anything in the room that would use the batteries. "There is nothing in this room that needs that size battery."

"We need a weapon of some kind if we are going to get out of here."

"I seemed to remember you were very resourceful. Can't you think of something?"

"I don't think this man would actually shoot us," Ironside said. "If there is nothing in this room that we can use except these flashlights, then we have to find a way to use them," Ironside said.

"What can we do with just two flashlights? Huff wondered.

"We can't get out of this room except through that door. He turned off the electricity so I could not use it against him, but by doing that he has made it possible for us to use the darkness against him," Ironside said.

"I don't understand. How are we going to do that?"

"He will return to allow us to use the bathroom. We will wait until he gets that door unlocked. I will use the flashlights to blind him so that you can take him from the side and disarm him. Once you have him occupied, I will move in and help you."

Huff wasn't sure he liked the plan, but he could not think of anything better. There just wasn't much in the room that they could use. Bradley had cleared the room of anything they could use as a weapon. The flashlights were about all they had. Huff had enough experience with Ironside to know that even if this plan did not work, he would come up with another. The detective was not going to give up until they stopped Bradley.

"Alright Chief, let's do it," Charles Huff said. He certainly would rather be working with Ironside than against him. He remembered how well that turned out last time.

xxxx

Della looked out the window of the jumbo jet. The pilot had just announced they would be on the ground shortly. Perry had been silent the entire flight. She knew him well enough to know that he was in no mood for conversation so she too remained silent.

She felt Perry's hand take hold of hers. She knew what he was thinking. "You are worried about Robert, aren't you?

Mason squeezed her hand and smiled. "I don't think Bradley is capable of murder, Della. I don't believe he murdered his wife, but right now he is desperate. If Bob had heard about Bradley being wanted for murder, I have no doubt he would refused to help him until he turned himself in. What worries me if he is holding Bob against his will, he may not be willing to turn a blind eye to kidnapping. Hamilton Burger will use Bob as a witness against him."

"What makes you so sure he did not kill his wife. If he is capable of kidnapping, he could very well be guilty of murder."

"He is only trying to get Bob to help him. The way he is going about it is wrong, granted, but that is his only motive for what he has done. Unfortunately, a jury is not going to look favorable upon this or the fact that he fled after the murder was committed. This is going to be an uphill battle."

"Most of your cases are uphill battles. You always figure them out in the end," she said.

Mason smiled at her but said nothing. He could always depend on Della to encourage him.

The plane touched down on the runway and sped down it until it slowed to a stop. Perry Della waited until the " Fasten _Seat Belt"_ sign was turned off before getting out of their seats. Mason reached above and opened the overhead compartment, pulling down Della's carry-on. Slowly the other passengers departed the plane. They followed them out into the terminal. Mason spotted Paul, motioned to Della and they headed in his direction.

Paul took one look at his friends and could tell that neither of them could have gotten any sleep on the red-eye flight. When they arrived at their location, Mason did not waste any time on greeting Drake.

"Any word on Bob?" Perry asked.

"There is not much we can do tonight," Paul answered him with a shake of his head. "We will start first thing tomorrow morning."

Perry nodded, he even thought what he really wanted to do was start right now. However, it was not practical. It was far to late to question anyone, and a small town like Gold Strike nearly folded up their sidewalks as soon as it got dark. "I take it you did not go to that shack of Bob's?"

"No, it just got too late. We can do it in the morning. I got you a room on the same floor I am on," Paul informed them. "I suggest you get a good night's sleep. It might be all we get until we find Ironside."

He got no argument from Perry or Della. They were both dead-tired and they knew nothing could be done right now. Drake led them to the baggage claim.

Since they had no reason to believe anyone would follow them, they did not spot the man who was keeping his distance from them.

xxxx

Lieutenant Tragg watched from a distance as Perry Mason and Della Street got off the plane. The detective had booked a flight that took off two hours earlier than their flight had.

Tragg had been informed of the flight number Street had booked for Mason and herself. The lieutenant called the airlines and was able to get a flight to the same airport without any trouble. He had opted to take the earlier flight so that he had time to rent a car, get it in place with the help of the airport security, so that he would be able to follow Drake's rented vehicle.

Sergeant Holcomb's information had been reliable. Mason and Street had indeed booked a flight. With the appearance of Paul Drake, Tragg was certain that they would lead him to Lawrence Bradley. The lieutenant figured Mason had sent Drake up there upon receiving a tip to Lawrence Bradley's whereabouts. Since Perry had joined him, that told him Drake had located Bradley.

Arthur Tragg would stay in the background and allow them to lead him straight to him. When they did, he would arrest Lawrence Bradley before Mason got a chance to clam him up. Tragg wanted to interrogate him without Mason being present. He would of course tell Bradley he had a right to call an attorney, but he would do everything he could to entice him to talk to the police. Of course, if he did, they would use everything he did say against him.

As Mason, Street and Drake left the terminal, Lieutenant Arthur Tragg was not far behind them.

xxxx

Ed Brown walked into the airport terminal and headed for the counter where he could rent a vehicle. As he was signing the paperwork, he spotted Perry and Della with Paul Drake. He was not surprised to see them. Ed figured the minute Drake informed him, he would be on the next flight up here.

Ed took his paperwork and keys and headed towards Perry. He had gotten to know him since it was discovered that he and Robert Ironside were half-brothers. Ed liked Perry. In some ways, he reminded him of his boss, and yet, in other ways they were as different as night and day.

Then Ed noticed another familiar face. Lieutenant Tragg. It only took a moment for him to realize that Tragg was not joining Perry. From his behavior, Ed could tell that he was actually tailing him. Brown knew of the murder case in Los Angeles, and surmised Tragg was following them in hopes that it would lead him to Lawrence Bradley. He would decide whether or not to tell Perry about Tragg. His first loyalty was to his boss and he intended to do whatever insured his safety. Mason's client was of no concern to him.

Ed looked up at the signs in the terminal and headed in the direction of the rental cars.

xxxx

Ironside and Huff continued to wait in the dark. They had been silent for quite some time. Huff wondered what was going through the detectives mind; probably trying to figure out what they would do next if this failed.

"Doesn't look like he is going to come and let us out for a bathroom break," Huff said.

Ironside silenced him immediately as he heard the key in the door. Huff moved into position with Ironside sitting a few feet back in front of the door. The chief was concerned that Bradley might turn on the hall light. If he did, he would spot the positions of both men. That would put an abrupt end to their plan.

As soon as the door opened, Ironside shined the flashlights directly in Bradley's eyes. The hall light was not on. Bradley did not see him coming; Huff tackled the man while Ironside blinded him with the flashlights.

"Ironside!" Bradley shouted as the gun went off.


	7. Chapter 7

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 7

Charles Huff let out a scream. He let go of Lawrence Bradley and fell backwards. Since Ironside did not have time to get a good hold on him, Bradley was able to shake him off. He backed out of the room and slammed the door. They heard the key turn in the lock.

Ironside waved the flashlight in the area he figured Huff would have fallen. It was confirmed when he heard him groan. "Mister Huff, are you hit?"

"In the shoulder," Charles answered.

Ironside wheeled his chair over to him. Turning the flashlight on him, the detective reached down and checked the wound. "It went right through, but we have to stop the bleeding. Damn it! Where the hell did Bradley go?"

The lights suddenly came on in the room. Ironside looked up and then turned the flashlight off. He reached back down and checked Huff's shoulder. "We have to do something about the bleeding. Can you get up?"

"I think so." Huff reached up, placing his hand on Ironside's chair, he used it to help push to a sitting position. A wave of dizziness invaded as he sat there.

The chief, concerned about the bleeding, grabbed him to prevent him from falling back. "Come on, Mister Huff, we have to get you to the bed."

Huff nodded. He placed the hand of the side of his injured shoulder, on the back of the chief's chair. The San Francisco detective took Charles' other hand and helped him to his feet. Huff rested his hand on Ironside's shoulder to steady himself. He thought it a bit ironic that the man that was responsible for his stay in prison, was now sincerely trying to help him. He realized he should not be surprised as he had learned a lot about the man while he was incarcerated.

When he reached the bed, he sat down. Ironside stopped him as he attempted to lay down. "I can't reach your right shoulder. Lay down with your head at the foot of the bed."

Charles Huff did as he was instructed. The chief wheeled backwards to the head of the bed and removed the pillow. Setting it on his lap, he then wheeled forward. He lifted Huff's head and placed the pillow behind it. "Now, let's take a look at that shoulder."

Ironside pulled back the suit jacket again. He did not like what he saw. Huff's flannel shirt was soaked in blood. He wheeled over to the door, doubled his fist and pounded on it before yelling, "Bradley, get in here now!"

As he wheeled back to Huff, they heard the key turn in the lock again. The door open and Lawrence Bradley entered, carrying the first aide kit he had located in the utility room. He pointed his gun at Ironside. "I want you on the other side of the bed, Chief. Now, move."

"This man needs medical attention. We have to get him into the city." Ironside made no move to comply with Bradley's demand.

"And that is what he is going to get. Now, get over on the other side of the bed."

"We need to get him to the city. You are not a doctor. The chief's voice was rising every time he made the demand.

Bradley had to start working on Huff before he lost too much blood. "I started out my career as a paramedic, Chief Ironside. I am perfectly capable of handling this. Now get on the other side of that bed."

Still Ironside made no move to comply. He stayed right where he was and stared at Bradley.

"Listen, Chief. There is nothing I will not do to help my daughter, and that includes shooting you if I have to. If you want me to treat Mister Huff, get on the other side of the bed. I am not going to do it with my back turned to you. Now make up your mind."

If it weren't for his concern that Charles Huff could dangerously bleed out, Ironside would not have moved even an inch. He stared back at Bradley. He did not like backing down, but Ironside was a man who knew what battles to pick, and this was not one of them. A man's life could be at stake. He wheeled back far enough to maneuver his wheel chair around the bed. A moment later he was on the other side.

"Now, that was not so hard was it, Chief?"

Ironside ignored the remark. He sat there watching Lawrence Bradley as he went to work on Charles Huff.

Bradley stopped the bleeding, cleaned the wound and bandaged Huff's shoulder. "This is going to have to be cleaned and re-dressed daily to keep it from becoming infected."

"He needs a doctor," Ironside insisted.

"I am as good as any doctor in this case. Fortunately, for Mister Huff, the bullet went clean through."

Ironside continued to stare at Bradley. "You can add assault with a deadly weapon to kidnapping and the murder charge."

Bradley did not address the detective until he finished dressing his host's shoulder. He frowned at him and said, "This would never have happen if the two of you did not assault me."

"The law won't see it that way, Bradley. You will be charged with assault with a deadly weapon. When you are committing a crime, you don't get to claim self-defense."

"I don't think that is exactly how the law is," Bradley disagreed.

Charles grunted. "You are trying to tell this man the law? Take my word for it, he knows the law a lot better than you do."

"Nevertheless, I don't think he will charge me with anything when he realizes I am only trying to help my little girl."

"By breaking laws? Do you really think you are helping her? Her mother is dead, and now you are facing multiple charges yourself. Who will raise her while you spend twenty to thirty years in prison for murder?" Ironside snarled.

"I told you, I did not kill my wife. She was alive when I left her. From what the police said, the whole side of her head was caved in. I checked her, Chief, after she hit her head on the coffee table, and I assure you her head was not caved in. The scalp was only bleeding slightly. She was alive when I left her."

"You expect me to believe that?" Ironside wheeled around the bed to check the bandaging on Charles Huff's shoulder. Bradley must have been telling the truth when he said he had started out as a paramedic; it was a very professional job.

"Look, Chief. I don't like holding you here anymore than you like being here. Please, help me help my little girl, and I promise you I will turn myself in. I will call Mister Mason and he will contact the police for me. Please, just help me first. That is all I ask."

"Call my brother and turn yourself in, and then I will look into your problem. If there is anything to this new surgical procedure, I will do what I can to help her get it, and that is all I ask." Ironside looked into his eyes.

"I have to know she is being helped before I turn myself in," he responded.

"Mister Bradley, if the police have to hunt you down to arrest you, not even my brother is going to be able to help you. In fact, I doubt he will."

"I am afraid that is a chance I will have to take." Bradley got up. He checked behind the bedside table. There was an electrical plug there. "Mister Huff, can I send electricity to this plug and still be able to shut off the juice to the light switch?"

"Yes, it is possible. Third breaker from the bottom is to that plug. Leave it on. You can check it out if you don't believe me."

"Oh, I believe you. I am not the monster you two think I am. I am just a man who loves his daughter." Lawrence Bradley got up and left the room. The key once again could be heard turning in the lock.

Ironside sat there quietly as he began to think about another way out of their predicament. Charles Huff sat up and turned around until he was sitting at the head of the bed. After placing the pillow behind him, he looked over to the window.

Ironside noticed what he was staring at. "We have to get that window open. It may be our only way out of here."

"That is exactly what I was thinking. You know, Chief, I am beginning to think like you."

"Then let's think about how we are going to get that window open." Ironside wheeled over to it. "Did you replace the screen that I cut up?"

"Yes, why?

"Because we will need to cut it to get past it."

"Even if we can get that window open, how are you going to get out through it?" Huff questioned. Ironside simply gave him a look. "Oh, that's right, you have done it before."

The lights above them went out. Ironside wheeled over to the nightstand and turned on the light. True to his word, Bradley left the electricity on to that one light. The chief backed his wheelchair to the window. "Mister Huff, do you feel well enough to bring one of those flashlights over here?"

"I think I can manage that." He picked the flashlight up that Ironside had used to check his wound, and carried it over to the detective.

Ironside turned it on and pointed it at the window. He stopped and shined it at the bottom of the sill. Bradley had pounded one large nail into the frame of the window, securing it to the wooden sill below.

Huff looked over his shoulder. "Well, that takes care of the window. We can't open it, and if we break it, he will know it."

"There is always a way, we just have to find it," Ironside said.

"If there is, I don't know what it would be." Huff looked at the window.

"I think there might be a way. If I could talk to Amy, I think I could get her to help us."

"Help us? How? She will not defy her father," Huff said.

"I think she will. I have an idea." Ironside went over to the door. Using his fist, he pounded on it.

Bradley came to the door. "What do you want?"

"I have to use the bathroom," Ironside said.

There was silence on the other side of the door for a minute, and then the key turned in the lock. "End of the hall, Chief. Do you need help?"

"No." He wheeled towards the bathroom when he noticed Bradley was following him. "Where do you think I am going to go? Do you have to follow me into the bathroom?"

"Will you give me your word you won't try to escape?"

"Through the bathroom window?" Ironside growled.

"Alright, Chief. Let me know when you are done." Bradley turned and went into the living room.

Ironside checked over his shoulder to be sure Bradley had indeed left him. When he was convinced he had, he wheeled over to what he figured had to be another bedroom. He knocked lightly and called out just above a whisper, "Amy."

The door opened and Amy smiled when she saw the detective. "Hi, Chief. I didn't think Daddy would let you talk to me."

"Can I come in," he said softly.

Amy wheeled backwards and allowed him to enter. He closed the door behind him. "Amy, I know you love your father, and I want to help you and him, but he is doing something that is going to get him in trouble with the law."

With a worried look, she asked, "Like what?"

"He is holding Mister Huff and me and will not allow us to leave."

"But he told me you were willing to help." Amy look at him with confusion.

"I am willing to help, but I can't do that if I cannot leave here."

"I am sure if you tell Daddy, he will let you leave."

Ironside shook his head. "No, he won't. Amy, what have the doctors told you about your condition. Do they think you will ever walk?"

Sadly, she lowered her head. "No, they say I will be in this wheelchair for all time."

"There is so much you can do from a wheelchair, if you are willing to learn."

"Will you teach me?" she asked.

"You bet I will, if you will help me."

Amy tipped her head to one side. "How can I help?"

"I have to leave here to help you but your Daddy can't know it. I promise you once I get out of here, I will be back to help you," Ironside said. "Can you get the key and unlock the door after your father goes to sleep?"

Her eyes widened. "I am not sure I should do that."

"Amy, you told me I was your hero, do you remember?"

"Yes."

"I promise I will help you and your father if you help me. Would a hero do anything to hurt you?"

"No. Heroes always help people," she said.

"And I will help you. But sometimes heroes need help too. Will you be my hero?"

Her eyes lit up. "I could be your hero?"

"Yes, if you want to."

She thought for a minute. "You will help us if I will be your hero?"

Ironside smiled. "You bet I will."

"Then I will be your hero," she said, taking Ironside's hand.

xxxx

Sergeant Ed Brown followed Lieutenant Arthur Tragg, who was following Perry and Paul. If Tragg was hoping they would lead him to Lawrence Bradley, he was going to be disappointed since neither of them knew where he was. Ed was anxious to find his boss. He had no idea if Lawrence Bradley had killed his wife. All he cared about right now was whether he would harm Chief Ironside. Perry Mason had an obligation to protect his client, Brown understood that. Ed had more than an employee's obligation to protect his boss. Robert Ironside was his closest friend and a father figure to him. No one was going to harm him, if he had something to say about it.

Ed looked out the window of his rented car. The headlights shined on the sign to the side of the road. Goldstrike, California. This was the chief's last known location. He would join Perry and Paul. Between the three of them they would find the chief.

Lieutenant Tragg stopped down the street from the hotel. Ed stopped his vehicle further back. He did not believe Tragg realized that he had been followed. Nor did he believe that Perry and Paul knew they were being tailed by Tragg. None of them had any reason to believe anyone was following them.

Ed got out of his car and crossed the street. He turned up the collar of his suit jacket, pushed his hands into his pockets and walked toward Tragg's car. He watched Perry, Della and Paul enter the hotel. When they disappeared inside, Tragg got out of his vehicle and headed down the street. Ed picked up his pace to catch up with the Los Angeles detective.

Just as Tragg reached the hotel door, he looked inside and then reached to open it. Ed reached around him, grabbed the handle and said, "Let me."

Having worked with Brown on several occasions, Tragg recognized his voice immediately. He turned and looked up into the sergeant's face. "What are you doing here?"

"Why are you following Perry and Paul?" Ed asked.

"You should know the answer to that since you are here," Tragg replied. "You are a law officer. Perry knows where Lawrence Bradley is. He is wanted for murder. I intend to let Mason lead me to him, and then I am sure Hamilton will regretfully have to charge him with harboring a fugitive from justice."

"If that is what you think, you are going to be disappointed, Lieutenant."

"What do you mean?" Tragg said.

"Perry doesn't know where Bradley is."

"Then Paul Drake found him, and Perry wants to talk to him before he is arrested."

"I have no doubt Perry wants to talk to him, but he has to find him first," Ed said.

Tragg frowned. "What is your interest in this, Ed?"

"Lawrence Bradley has my boss. He abducted him. He wants him to help his daughter get an operation."

"How do you know that?"

Ed told him about the letter Chief Ironside had received. "I think you better let Perry and Paul know you are here," Lieutenant," Ed said.

I am not ready to do that," Tragg responded.

"Then I will tell them you are here. Chief Ironside's safety is my concern. They are here to help find him. When they do, Perry will convince Bradley to turn himself in."

"May I remind you, you are a police officer, Sergeant Brown? You have an obligation to help the law, that's me."

"May I remind you, Chief Ironside is my boss and friend? I have an obligation to protect him. Your case is secondary to his safety."

With their backs to the door, neither man saw Perry, Paul and Della in the lobby. They headed their way. Perry opened the door and the three of them joined the detectives on the sidewalk.

"Well, hello, Tragg, Ed. I don't need to ask what either of you are doing here."

Tragg looked at Ed. "Thanks a lot, Brown.

"Lieutenant, why don't we work together to find Lawrence Bradley. I am sure Ed has told you, he is holding my brother. I want him found as much as you do," Perry said.

Della watched the men wondering if this was going to be one of those times when they clashed. They may have developed a friendship over the years, but tension always resulted when it came to Perry's clients. Tragg was always trying to find them, and Perry was always trying to make sure he found them first to warn them about talking to the police.

"You just do what you have to do, Mason. I will find him on my own," Tragg said.

Perry smiled. "There are three of us and only one of you. We can split up and you will never know which one finds him."

"All I have to do is stick with you. Sooner or later, they have to bring Bradley to you." The grin on Tragg's face was from ear to ear.

"So you will take the chance of losing me? You know it will happen sooner or later." Perry smiled again.

The grin left Tragg's face. "What have you got in mine?"

"We work together to find him. When we do, I will get him to surrender to you, but you must agree to let me talk to him first and alone."

"So you can tell him to clam up," Tragg said, sarcastically.

"It's either that or the three of us will find a way to slip me past you. Then I will talk to Bradley and turn him over to you," Mason said. It was his turn to grin from ear to ear.

Disgusted, Tragg knew Mason was right. The devious and sneaky lawyer would find a way. "Alright, Mason, you win."

"Do I have your word that you will not try to interrogate him before I have had a chance to talk to him?"

"You have my word. How do you know I will keep it?" Tragg said sarcastically.

Della smiled. "He knows, Arthur."

Tragg gave in. "Alright, what do you know so far?" he inquired.

"Let's go upstairs and we will bring you up to date," Perry told him.

Tragg and Brown followed Perry, Paul and Della into the hotel.

xxxx

Amy wheeled her chair to the door of the bedroom she had been assigned. She turned so that she could put her ear to the door. She could not hear anything. Amy backed up and opened the door. She wheeled into the hall. Fortunately, her dad had oiled the wheels of her chair, leaving it noiseless. She wheeled over to Ironside's room.

"Chief," she called out quietly.

Ironside wheeled over to the door. "Amy, do you have the key?"

"Not yet. I think Daddy is asleep. I am going to get the key now."

"Do you know where it is?" Charles Huff asked.

"Yes, he left it on that big counter."

"The bar," Ironside told Huff.

"Okay, we will wait for you," Ironside whispered.

Amy wheeled away from the door and into the room where the bar was. How would she ever reach it? It was much taller than she was. She had to figure out a way to get that key. Chief Ironside promised to help her and her Daddy if she let him out.

Amy looked around the dim room. The lights over the big counter were on. She did not understand why they were so dim. What good were those lights? You could not see anything anyway. They might as well be turned off. She turned her chair around.

Amy returned her attention back to her problem, how to get the keys off the big counter. She just could not see how she could do it. Then she remembered her father telling her how Chief Ironside could find a way to do anything. Well, if he could, she could too. After all, they were both in a wheelchair. She looked around again. She backed her chair up and it stopped abruptly. Wheeling forward and then turning around, she looked to see what she had backed into. There was a chair with long legs. She wondered how anyone could reach the chair to sit down.

Amy locked the wheels on her wheelchair after moving it as close as she could to the bar chair. She tested its steadiness before she tried pulling herself on it. When it would not move, she realized that it was connected to the big counter. Even though she thought it was silly to connect the chair to the big counter, she was glad that it was. She would be able to pull herself in the chair without worrying about it moving on her. She took hold of the tall chair and began pulling her crippled body upward. Amy had raised herself so the top of her body was across the seat of the chair. From there she grabbed the big counter and used her upper body to pull into a sitting position.

Amy reached immediately and picked up the key she had seen her father throw there, after he had locked Chief Ironside and his friend in the bedroom.

She looked down at her wheelchair. It seem to be a long way down from where she was sitting. How would she ever get back into the chair.

"Amy, what are you doing?" her father said from across the room.

She turned to see him standing there in pajamas and bare feet. Amy had to come up with an excuse and do so quickly. She looked on the counter where a half-empty glass of water was sitting. "I am thirsty, Daddy. I saw the glass of water on the counter, so I climbed up here to get it." She reached for the glass.

Her father crossed the room and took the glass from her hand. Amy held her breath, hoping that he would not notice the missing key. Lawrence Bradley lifted his daughter from the chair and placed her back in her wheelchair. "You don't want to drink that. It is not water. I'll get you a glass of water."

Bradley wheeled his daughter into the kitchen, took a glass out of the cupboard and turned on the tap water. After filling the glass, he handed it to her. Amy really did not want any water, but she drank every bit of it and handed the glass back to her father.

"Well, I guess you were thirsty. Next time, you come and get me. I will get it for you. He turned her chair around and wheeled her back to the bedroom. After making sure she was tucked in, he left the bedroom and closed the door.

Amy immediately pulled the wheelchair close to her bed and lowered herself back into it. Wheeling over to the door, she opened it slightly, checking to be sure her father had returned to his bedroom. Amy knew her father fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. She waited around what she thought was an hour, in reality, it had only been ten minutes.

As she entered the hallway, she could hear the light snoring coming from her father's bedroom. Now certain her father was asleep, she checked her pocket for the key. It was still there.

Wheeling down the hall in the dark, she arrived at the locked bedroom. Amy took the key out of her pocket and felt the door in an attempt to find the lock. She soon discovered that the lock was too high on the door for her to put the key in.

"Chief Ironside, are you there?" she whispered.

On the inside, Ironside turned his chair toward the door when he heard Amy's voice. He reached over and lightly shook Charles Huff's arm. "Amy is here."

Huff got up and followed the detective over to the door. "Amy," Ironside said softly.

"I have the key," Amy told him, "but I can't reach the hole.

"Amy, put the key under the door," Ironside instructed.

Amy Bradley lowered her hand down and shoved the key under the door as she was told. Ironside reached down, picked it up, put it in the lock and unlocked the door. Wheeling backwards, he opened it and said, "Amy, come in."

She wheeled her chair into the room, as he backed his chair up to give her room to do so. The detective asked her if she was certain her father was sleeping. She told him she was sure he was as she could hear him snoring.

"Amy, Mister Huff and I are going to leave now. You cannot tell your father."

"I won't tell him. You will help us," the little girl asked, "you promised."

"I'll help you. I will be back. In the meantime, you cannot tell your father anything. Do you understand?"

She nodded and backed out of the room after the detective opened the door. "Now go back to bed, Amy."

She wheeled down the hall and disappeared into the darkness.

The chief grabbed the flashlights, put them next to each leg, and wheeled out into the hallway with Charles Huff behind him. He turned back to the door, locked it and placed the key in his pocket. "Mister Huff, is there another key to this room."

"Yes, but it is on my key chain."

"Where are your keys?"

"Bradley has them," Huff informed him. "Do you want to see if we can find them? We could start the Jeep and get out of here."

"No. I don't want to take the chance Bradley will wake up and catch us. Do you know how to hot-wire a car," Ironside asked.

"Sorry, I may have been into kidnapping, but I never stole cars. "What about your van?"

"Bradley has the keys. How close is the nearest neighbor from here?"

Huff smiled. "Ore Franklin's place."

"That would be the first place Bradley would look," Ironside said.

"We can't go there then."

"It is also the first place Ed Brown will look in the morning," Ironside pointed out. "I have no doubt Perry sent Paul Drake looking for Bradley. Drake's an excellent detective. He would have traced him up here. He also would have found out I left that restaurant with him. He would have alerted Ed right away. Right now, Ed, Perry Mason, Della Street, and Paul Drake are staying at the hotel in Gold Strike, and Lieutenant Tragg will not be far behind them.

How long will it take us to get to Ore's shack on foot?"

"It's about four to five miles from here," Charles told him.

"That's if we take the main road?"

"The main road as you know is a dirt road, but yes, that is correct," Huff confirmed.

"We can't take the main road, Bradley would spot us if we did that."

"Chief, we can't take anything else. If you could walk ... "

"Well, I can't," Ironside said, gruffly.

"It would take us three times as long. It would be slow going. It might take us all night, and that is if I could find our way in the dark."

"Here, carry the flashlights," Ironside said. "If we make it by morning, we might just beat Ed Brown there."

Robert Ironside and Charles Huff quietly left the house and headed for Ore Franklin's cabin.


	8. Chapter8

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 8

Robert Ironside and Charles Huff followed along the highway out of sight. It would have been so much easier if they could have taken advantage of the cement of the highway. Even in the dark, Ironside could see the perspiration on his companion's face. The moon was full and did provide them some light as they traveled.

Ironside was not happy with their pace, but he certainly could not ask Huff to move any faster. As it was, he had helped to get the chief's chair out of holes and over terrain Ironside himself could not without his help. He was worried about the man's shoulder. It had been dressed by Lawrence Bradley, however, it was still a bullet wound. Huff was in no condition for what they were putting him through. The problem was, he saw no way out of the situation other then what they had chosen to do.

Suddenly, his forward progress was halted. Ironside turned to look at Huff. It was far to dark to see him. He pulled one of the flashlights out of the side of his chair and shined it in the man's face. Huff immediately shielded his eyes from the bright light that had invaded them.

"Turn it off, Chief," he protested.

Ironside could see that his face was beet red and he was breathing heavily. He shut the flashlight off and returned it to the side of his chair. "You need rest. We'll stop here."

"We can't afford to stop. We need to keep going," Huff insisted. "Bradley will know that we will not go by way of the highway. Our only chance is to put as much distance between him and us as we can. So let's keep going."

"No, you can't keep this up. We will rest here for a while and then we will continue."

Charles Huff breathed a heavy sigh of relief. What he said was true. They did need to put as much distance as they could from Bradley, but his shoulder was paining like hell. Ironside was a big man. He had to weigh at least two-hundred-thirty pounds or more, and his chair... well, who knows, but it was certainly not a light-weight model. He was happy the chief insisted they rest. He sat down on the nearest rock, breathing like a winded horse.

Ironside remained silent. He would let Huff rest until his breathing slowed. They would not be able to keep up the pace they had been taking. He would have to stop and allow the man to rest more often. After a few minutes, the silence was beginning to get to him, so he decided to strike up a conversation. "How have you been doing, Mister Huff, I mean since you got out of prison?"

Huff could not believe he was traveling in the middle of the night with the cop that had sent both him and his son to prison. Still, he could not hate Robert Ironside. The man was only doing his job and he did recommend his parole after only a year in the slammer. He did not have to do that considering what they had put him through.

"Actually, Chief, not bad at all. I have a lot of investments in this area that have paid off handsomely. I make a very good living and I don't have to work that hard to do it." He decided this was a good time to push Ironside for Ore Franklin's property. "I could do even better if you would allow me to purchase that piece of property that shack is sitting on."

Ironside chuckled. "I don't believe I am saying this since that property caused Ore's death, but I have no use for it. I'll tell you what. We will talk about it and come up with a reasonable price."

Huff smiled. "Thanks, Chief. That is more than I deserve. I promise I won't try to talk you down on the price. I will pay you a fair sum for the land."

"Right now, Mister Huff, that is the least of our worries. We have to get to that piece of land before Mister Bradley finds us."

"Alright Chief, why don't we start moving again?"

"Are you sure or do you need more time?" Ironside asked.

"We don't have more time." Huff stepped in behind Ironside's wheelchair and began pushing.

xxxx

Lawrence Bradley's eyes opened. He felt the need to go to the bathroom. Throwing the covers back, he swung his legs over the side and put his feet on the floor. He left the comfort of the bedroom he had been using and went into the bathroom. After taking care of nature, he headed back to the bedroom, when he thought he should check on Amy.

Bradley walked over to Amy's borrowed bedroom and opened the door quietly. She had left on the light beside the bed as always. Amy had a tendency to get up in the middle of the night and roam the house. She had told him and her mother that she would get sore lying in the bed. He had not heard her on this particular night. She was sleeping soundly. Bradley decided not to disturb her. He gently closed the door behind him as he left.

He was at a loss as to what to do next. That San Francisco cop was one of the most stubborn men he had ever run into. Was Charles Huff right? Was there no way to convince Ironside to help him. He did not kill his wife. He was unafraid of facing trial for a murder he did not commit, especially since he had Perry Mason as an attorney. The man never lost. There was no better attorney anywhere. The only thing that worried him was whether Mason would be furious when he found out he had abducted his brother. Then again, how could Mason not be understanding about it. He had a much different temperament than that detective brother of his. Mason was not stubborn like Ironside.

He knew it was extremely late, but he had to try and talk to Ironside. There had to be a way to get through to him, there just had to be. He moved silently down the hall; he did not want to wake Amy. When he reached Ironside's room, he began to panic. The door was slightly ajar. Oh God! How could that be? He knew he locked it. How did that damn detective get out of the room?

Lawrence Bradley turned on the hall light. The night light on the wall did not provide enough light. Checking the lock, it did not appear to have been jimmied or toyed with. How then? Bradley looked behind him toward the room where the bar was. He hurried to it and ran to the bar. The dim lights were still on overhead. He checked the surface and was unable to locate the key. This was silly. Ironside could not get out of the room to get a key that would unlock the door of a room he was imprisoned in.

Momentarily, he was lost for what to do. He heard the small voice behind him. "I let him out."

"You what?!" Bradley shouted. "Amy, do you know what you have done?"

"I am sorry, Daddy, but it is wrong to keep Chief Ironside and his friend locked in that room. He promised he would help me. That is good enough for me."

Bradley rubbed his hands down his face. "Don't you understand? I am trying to get you out of that chair."

"All my doctors have said I will never get out of this chair, Daddy. I don't like it, but I accept it; just the way Chief Ironside has accepted he can't ever walk again. You have to accept it too. I want to talk to the chief and learn how he does things from his chair. You must let me. I want to learn things, Daddy; can't you understand?"

Lawrence Bradley looked down at his little girl. He loved her more than life itself. How could he have let this go this far? He just wanted her to be able to walk and live a normal life. What had he done? Run away from Los Angeles when he knew the police were looking for him; abducted Ironside while trying to force him to break the law along with him; taken Charles Huff prisoner in his own home. What was even worse, he had shot him, and all for what? Ironside would never agree to help him until he turned himself into the police. When he did, what would happen to Amy? Her mother was dead and he had not even told her yet. He would go to jail until he was proven innocent of his wife's murder by Perry Mason, that is if the lawyer would even take his case. He would not be happy about him abducting and holding his brother against his will.

Bradley had to make things right, well, at least as right as he could make them. He had to turn himself in. That was first and foremost. No, it wasn't, he realized. He had to find Ironside and Charles Huff. Huff's wound had been properly dressed, but Ironside was right, Huff needed antibiotics to make sure his wound did not get infected. He had to find him and get him to a doctor. And Ironside... he was out there in a wheelchair. What the hell was the matter with him? How could he have totally lost it this way. How would he ever convince a jury that he did not lose it and kill Karen.

Bradley found the nearest chair, sat down and put his head in his hands. He felt like crying. He lost his wife and now he would probably go to jail for the rest of his life for a murder he did not commit. Then what would happen to Amy? She needed him now more than ever. He wished he had considered that before he did all this.

It was time he do something right for a change. He had to find Ironside and Huff. Neither of them should be out trying to find their way to safety. He felt his daughter's hand on his arm. Looking down at her in the chair that he despised so much, he could not see the tears in her eyes.

"Daddy, I know you were just trying to help me, but maybe Chief Ironside is right. Maybe I just need to learn to do things from this chair. Chief Ironside is a policeman. Doesn't that prove I can do just about anything?"

Bradley took his daughter into his arms, pulling her out of the wheelchair. "I guess it does." In the dim lighting he could see those tears streaming down her face. "Okay, we will see if Chief Ironside can teach you to do things from the chair."

Amy smiled but the smile disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "Chief Ironside said you are in trouble."

"Yes, Amy, I am. I am afraid my judgment has been so clouded, I did not see the wrong in what I was doing. But, I promise you I am going to make it right. I must find Ironside and Huff. I will have to leave you alone here, but I promise as soon as I find them, I will come back for you."

"I understand. Don't worry, Daddy, Chief Ironside will help you."

Not after what he had done. He could not see anything he could say that would convince the detective to help him now. Bradley gently placed the little girl back in her wheelchair. He kissed her forehead. "I have to go now, but I will be back."

Lawrence Bradley left Charles Huff's house and headed out to get Ironside's van. After replacing the part he had removed from the engine to keep it from running, he started the van and headed down the road everyone referred to as a highway. In truth, it was nothing but a two lane road that was full of pot holes. He would have to take it slow if he was to do no damage to Ironside's van.

Bradley figured they would head for Ore Franklin's place. There wasn't much else around here. He just could not figure where in the world the two men thought they could go. They certainly could not make it to the nearest town on foot.

He would head there and pick them up. After he found them, he would go back and pick up Amy. Now that he thought about it, it would have made more sense just to bring her along. It might have helped him to convince Ironside that he had indeed had a change of heart. Well, it was to late now. He would just go to the little shack and wait for them.

xxxx

Perry woke up to the sound of the alarm. His shoulder was numb as Della was asleep on it. Mason gently tried to remove it from behind her, but he should have known better. She began to stir and opened her eyes.

Noticing it was still dark she said, "It's not morning yet. It is still dark, Perry, go back to sleep."

"I want to get a head start on Tragg. I told Paul to meet me in the lobby at five-thirty. We have to get up and shower. I'll get in first, you take longer." Mason through the covers back and headed to the bathroom. After checking the temperature of the water, he slipped in and began showering. He wanted to find his brother and Lawrence Bradley before Tragg did.

Perry knew his brother would be furious, and he would not like what he was going to tell him. The first thing he needed to know was that Bob was alright. He was certain he was, as he did not believe Lawrence Bradley had any intentions of harming him. He simply was blinded in his crusade to get his daughter out of the wheelchair.

What Mason considered most important was to talk to Bradley and have him convince him that he did not kill his wife. Perry found it hard to believe that he could commit cold-blooded murder. He had known Lawrence Bradley for years. Once convinced, Perry would have to try to help his brother understand why he could not abandon Bradley. Mason had never abandoned any client. If they were guilty, he would plea bargain to make sure they got only the sentence they deserved. If they weren't guilty, well, he would do whatever it took to prove them innocent.

When Mason finished his shower, he found Della had already laid out his clothes. On the bed was a suit, shirt, socks, underwear and a tie. His shoes were on the floor beside the bed. He smiled at her efficiency. She was always looking out for him in and out of the office.

Della saw the smile on his face. As she passed him to head to the shower, she said, "I just wanted to make sure your socks matched and did not clash with your suit and shoes." Without looking back, she went into the bathroom.

Within a half hour, they were both dressed and ready to meet Paul in the lobby. Mason opened the door of their hotel room and checked the hall. "The coast is clear. No sign of Tragg."

"I thought you had an understanding with Arthur," Della said. "He said he would allow you time with Mister Bradley."

"I do want to talk to Bradley, and if that was all there was to it. I would not be sneaking down this hall," Perry said. "I want to talk to Bob and calm him down before Tragg talks to him. Burger is going to be using Bob as a witness against Bradley."

"Naturally, after all Bradley left Los Angeles, missed his wife's funeral and kidnapped Robert. It will look bad to a jury."

"I know, but I need to make sure Bob doesn't blow his stack and say something in front of Tragg that can be trouble later."

They rode the elevator down to the lobby. As the door opened, Lieutenant Arthur Tragg was standing in front of it. "You weren't thinking of going after Bradley without me, were you, Perry?"

Mason held his poker face and saw that Della had too. "Now would I do that, Tragg?"

"Yes," Tragg said.

Paul Drake came out of the second elevator. When he saw Tragg standing there, he was not surprised. The lieutenant was a hard man to keep a step ahead of.

Entering the lobby from the front doors, Ed Brown joined them. "Let's get going. We are not going to find the chief standing around here."

"Why, Sergeant Brown, you are beginning to sound more like Robert every day," Della said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ed smiled.

"I wouldn't," Tragg said. "You don't suppose Bradley served him chili for dinner last night, do you?"

Ed said nothing, he just frowned at Tragg.

Perry had to hold back the smile that was threatening to spread across his face. One would think Ed would be used to sarcasm considering the amount of it Bob used.

"We have two cars outside. Della, Paul and I will ride in the one. Ed, you can ride with your fellow police officer," Perry said.

"Ah, Perry," Tragg said, the corner of his lips turning up.

"Yes."

"Don't try and lose us. We are experienced at following people."

Mason could not resist a smile. "Why, Lieutenant, I wouldn't think of it."

"You would and did," Tragg said, before turning to join Ed, who had already got into the automobile.

Paul chuckled. "He's in rare form this morning."

"I hadn't noticed it was any different than any other morning," Mason said. "Whose driving?"

"I am," Paul said. "You drive like a maniac." Drake slipped in behind the wheel before Perry had a chance to argue. Mason helped Della into the back seat before getting in the front passenger seat. Drake started up the vehicle and pulled into the street. "Do we know where this place is?"

"In the Sierras," Mason replied.

"Oh, that is a big help. It is not like the Sierra Mountains are very big," Paul said, sarcastically.

Perry chuckled. "Just head out of town. I have the map."

"Shall I try to lose Tragg?"

Perry just laughed at the detective's remark.

xxxx

Lawrence Bradley was getting worried. He should have found the two of them by now. What route could they have taken? Ironside was in a wheelchair and Huff had a bullet wound. He certainly would have wanted to take the easiest route towards Franklin's cabin. Lawrence had done that, at least he thought he did. He would have to admit that Huff probably knew the area better than he did. Nevertheless, he had chosen the route with the smoothest terrain. Wouldn't Ironside and Huff do the same?

He continued walking in the direction of the cabin. He had to come upon them soon. They would be limited as to where they could travel because of Ironside's wheelchair. He had no choice but to keep searching for them.

xxxx

Ironside reached back and touched Charles Huff's arm. "You need to rest, Mister Huff."

"We can't chance it, Chief. Bradley must know we are missing by now. We have to get to the cabin before he finds us. He will drag us back to my place if he locates us."

"You can't keep this up. You have to rest," Ironside insisted. "We will just have to take that chance." Ironside turned on his flashlight. Pointing it at Huff's shoulder, he could see that the wound was bleeding. "You are starting to bleed again. Let's see if we can tighten that bandage a bit."

When Ironside finished redressing Huff's bullet wound, he said. "We'll rest here for a few more minutes and then we will move on."

From out of the shadows, Lawrence stepped out. "You gentlemen certainly weren't easy to find. I thought I would never find you."

Daylight had started creeping up on them. Ironside could see that Bradley was not carrying a gun. He could not imagine why not. Neither he nor Huff were going to go back with him willingly; he would think he would know that.

Bradley saw the look of mistrust in Ironside's eyes. "Relax, Chief, I am not here to force you to go back. I realize now, I was wrong. Amy helped me to see that. I am here to surrender myself to you, since you are a police officer."

Ironside looked the man directly in the eye as he came closer to him. What the chief saw was sincerity there. "Where's the gun?"

Bradley pulled it out of his jacket, turned it around so that the handle was toward the detective. Ironside took it out of his hand. He checked it for bullets. There wasn't any in the gun.

"You are in a lot of trouble, Mister Bradley," Ironside growled.

"Yes, sir, I know that. I don't have any excuse for what I have put you and Mister Huff through. I can only offer my apologies and hope that the two of you will forgive me for what I have done. I assure you, I only wanted to help my daughter. She is resigned to being in that wheelchair for the rest of her life. All I wanted was to get her out of it. You did promise to help her," Bradley reminded him.

"I did and I will. If there is anything to this surgery you are talking about, I will help her get it. If they too say her situation is irreversible, than you are going to face that fact and help her to live a full life to the extent that she can. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. Now, Mister Huff, I will take over pushing Chief Ironside. How is that shoulder?"

"It hurts like hell," Huff said. He did not try to hold back the contempt he held for Bradley. Yet, the man in the wheelchair had suffered a similar situation under him. He now knew how Ironside must have felt. He certainly did not like being held prisoner in his own damn house.

"As soon as we get to your van, we have to go back to your house, Mister Huff."

"What! You said we were going to Franklin's shack," Huff shouted. "We are not going back there, you are taking us to that shack. The chief's people will be looking for him."

Bradley looked over at Ironside. "I should have known. You check into your office once a day, don't you, Chief?"

"I do," Ironside said, hoping it had not been a mistake to admit it, but then Huff had already said his people would be there. He guessed it really didn't matter. He hoped what appeared in Bradley's eyes was sincerity. He did not relish the thought of heading back there only to be locked in that bedroom again.

"I am sure your people have contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and told them that I am up here," he said regretfully.

"I have no doubt they have," Ironside replied.

"Well, we better get going then. If we are to drive back to the house, pick up Amy and make it to the cabin before they arrive, we have to leave now."

"Are you on the up and up?" Huff demanded.

"I assure you, I am not just trying to get you to go back to your house to lock you up. Besides, I gave the gun to Chief Ironside. How could I possibly force you without it?"

Huff looked to Ironside to decide, but not before he put in his opinion. "He has a point there, Chief," he told the detective.

"Alright, Mister Bradley, I am taking you at your word. Let's go get Amy."

xxxx

Paul continued to drive towards Ore Franklin's cabin. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he said, "Tragg is still with us, Perry."

Mason smiled. "Did you think he wouldn't be?"

"Well, no. Do you want me to lose him?"

"No, I think he will keep his word and let me talk to Bradley first," the lawyer answered.

"We are only about a mile from the house," Paul informed him.

Looking at the map, Mason agreed. "Less than that according to this. By the way, from what Ed told me, it is more of a shack than a house. Bob is going to have it torn down before he puts the property up for sale."

"How does Ed know Robert will even be there when we arrive?" Della asked.

"He doesn't, Della, Mason answered. "He figures it could be where Lawrence Bradley went in the first place. We might find something that will help us locate him and Bradley."

"There it is up ahead," Paul announced. "Hey, isn't that Ironside's van over there?"

"It sure looks like it," Perry agreed. "Pull up along side it."

Paul brought their rented vehicle to a halt on the right side of the chief's van. Lieutenant Tragg parked on the other side. Perry got out, helped Della out of the back seat and looked into the driver's side of the front window. "It's Bob's van alright."

Tragg and Sergeant Ed Brown pulled out their service revolvers. Each one positioned themselves on either side of the door. The lieutenant nodded at Brown. Ed kicked in the door. As it burst open, Ed holstered his weapon. Tragg, however, did not.

Standing by the stove was Lawrence Bradley with a man Lieutenant Tragg did not recognize. A little girl was sitting on the bed with an empty wheelchair beside her.

Robert Ironside looked up as Paul Drake and Perry Mason entered the cabin. Ed smiled at his boss. Once again, the chief had everything under control.

Tragg walked over to Bradley. "Lawrence Bradley, you are under arrest on suspicion of the murder of your wife, Karen."

Ironside gave Tragg a disgusted look as he saw the look on Amy's face. He immediately went to Amy, reached down and picked her up. He cradled her in his arms.

Amy began to cry. "Is Mommy dead?"

"I am sorry, Amy. We were going to tell you, but with everything that has happened, we just didn't have the time," Ironside said.

She looked at her father. It hurt him to see the mistrust he could easily see in her eyes. "Did you kill Mommy?"

Lawrence Bradley tried to go to his daughter but Tragg stepped in front of him. "Stay where you are, Bradley. You are under arrest. It will be noted to the district attorney that we had to hunt you down since you did not turn yourself in. You are a fugitive from justice"

Bradley looked over at Chief Ironside with pleading eyes. Ironside was furious with the man, but he defended him anyway. "He is not a fugitive, Tragg," he said. "He turned himself into me. We were just getting ready to head into town."

"Did you kill Mommy?" Amy asked her father again.

"No, baby. I did not. She was fine when I left her." That was not exactly the truth. She was unconscious, but she was alive.

"Don't say anything else, Mister Bradley," Perry Mason spoke up. "I will do your talking for you. You are not to talk to the police or anyone else for that matter. Do you understand?"

"I thought we had a deal, Mason?" Tragg said, obviously disappointed in Mason's statement. "I was to let you talk to him first, and then I got to question him."

"We do have a deal, Lieutenant. I led you to him and you can talk to him, but as his attorney, I did not promise he would talk to you."

"Of all the ..." Tragg muttered. He grabbed Bradley's arm. "Let's go."

Bradley looked to Mason. "Go with him, Mister Bradley, but don't say a word."

As Tragg led his prisoner away, Bradley called over his shoulder, "Remember, Chief, you promised. Take care of Amy for me until I can make arrangements for her."

Tragg slammed the door as he left. Paul Drake watched him. "I don't think he is very happy with you, Perry."

"It doesn't matter whether he is or not. I have a client to protect. I didn't promise Bradley would talk to him." Perry looked over at his brother who was holding Amy Bradley in his arms as the girl sobbed. He walked around Paul and headed for his brother. "Hello, Bob."

Ironside looked up at his younger brother. "We need to talk, Perry."

Mason said nothing. He only nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 9

"Della, will you take Amy outside, please?" Ironside requested.

"If this concerns my dad, I want to know," Amy insisted.

"Please, Amy, I need to talk to Mister Mason alone." The detective looked into her eyes. It seemed to do the trick as Amy nodded. Ironside placed the little girl back in her wheelchair and looked up at Della.

Della Street wheeled Amy outside and shut the door.

"Alright, who is this man and is he your client?" Ironside demanded of his younger brother.

"I am sure you already know his name is Lawrence Bradley. He was married to Karen Bradley. She was found murdered in their home. There is some circumstantial evidence that Lawrence killed her," Perry said.

"What evidence?"

"He was seen coming out of the house with Amy around the time Karen was killed. The murder weapon was a rather heavy bookend and ... "

"And Bradley's fingerprints are all over it," Ironside surmised.

"That is right, Bob, but Lawrence is an avid reader. Between those two bookends were the books he is reading at the present time. So it is not unusual that his fingerprints would be found on the bookend."

"So, there is a good chance he killed his wife," Ironside stated.

"I don't think so, Bob. He actually loved his wife."

"Perry, you know as well as I do that there are many men out there that murdered their wives, but still loved them. It is called a crime of passion."

"I am fully aware of that, but I don't believe he killed her. I don't believe he is capable of murder, and before you say it, I am also aware that a person that would not normally kill could be provoked into doing so."

Ironside snorted. "So, as far as you see it, he is not capable of murder, but he certainly was capable of kidnapping me and Mister Huff. May I remind you, he shot him."

Paul came back into the shack. No one had even noticed that he had left for a few minutes. "Tragg wants everyone to report to the marshal's office in Gold Strike. He intends to question the chief and Mister Huff."

Perry nodded at Paul, acknowledging he heard him. Turning his attention back to his brother, he asked, "How did the shooting come about?"

"He had turned the electricity off in the room he was keeping us," Charles Huff said. "He knew about the time that my son and I held Chief Ironside here and that the chief used the electrical current to stop Marshal Douglas. He did not want to take a chance that he could once again use the electricity against him.

The chief came up with a plan to overtake him, but his gun went off and I was shot in the shoulder."

"In other words, it was an accident," Mason said. "He didn't mean to shoot you."

Before Huff could say anything, Ironside interjected. "When someone points a gun at you, they know they will have to use it if you resist. We resisted, he fired the gun."

"But, the gun went off by accident, he wasn't trying to shoot either of you."

"What the devil do you think he had the gun for?" Ironside roared.

"Bob, I am not excusing what he did; I don't believe he would have shot you. He knew you didn't know whether he would shoot you or not, so it served as a way to keep you in line. The man is obsessed with helping his daughter. He was only trying to get you to help her."

"I don't help fugitives from justice. I am a cop. I arrest them. You say he was obsessed? I agree with that. Obsessed enough to kidnap, how about obsessed enough to kill?"

"No, he did not kill his wife. He loved her. He just wanted to help his daughter. He went about it wrong," Mason said.

Ironside shook his head. "I'll say he did." He looked his brother in the eye. Mason was not trying to mask his feelings. Ironside knew exactly what he was going to do and he didn't like it. "You intend to defend him against this murder charge, don't you?"

Perry did not look away from his brother. Nor did he want there to be a conflict between them, but he knew what he had to do and he was going to do it despite his brother's objection. "Yes, Bob. I have no choice."

"What the flaming hell do you mean you don't have a choice? It will come out in court that he kidnapped me and Mister Huff. How the blazes is that going to look?" Ironside continued to roar.

Mason remained calm, hoping it would have a calming effect on his brother. "I don't believe he killed her. He is entitled to a defense. I am his attorney ... "

"And I am your brother," he shouted. "Does it mean anything to you at all that the man kidnapped me and held me against my will?"

"Of course it does. I came up here to make sure you were found and to make sure you were alright," Mason said.

"So, you are going to defend him against the murder charge, regardless of how I feel about it?"

"I have to, Bob, and you know it. He didn't do it. I have no intention of allowing him to go to the death penalty for something he did not do. I think you can understand that."

"Do you intend to defend him against the kidnapping charges as well?" Ironside demanded.

Perry could not hold back the smile. "Actually, I am hoping you and Mister Huff do not press charges." He waited for the explosion he knew was coming.

"You can't be serious!" Ironside exclaimed. "You want us to just look the other way? The man took me by force and forced his way into Mister Huff's home. You want us to simply to forget it?" Ironside could not believe what his brother was asking of him. "You do know what a kidnapping charge will get him?"

"Of course I do. I am asking the two of you to try and understand a man, who was wrong in what he did, was only trying to help his daughter. I don't believe he meant either of you any harm."

"He did treat my arm and remove the bullet," Charles Huff pointed out. "And Chief, he did come to realize what he did wrong. He surrendered himself to you."

Ironside gave him a look of disbelief. "You can't tell me you are willing to forget what he put you through? He shot you, are you forgetting that?"

Huff walked over to Ironside and smiled. "No, I am not forgetting, I am remembering. I remember what I put you through, and I did it for a piece of land."

"And I testified against you in a court of law," Ironside countered. "There is no difference here. You paid for what you did, and so should he."

"But there is a difference, Chief. Ore Franklin lost his life because I wanted the property. I was blinded by that fact so much that I did not even know my son was responsible for his death. In this case, no one died. Yes I know Lawrence Bradley is technically guilty of kidnapping."

"Two counts of it, three if you count Amy," Ironside interrupted.

"Okay, even if it is three counts, I can feel for what the man is going through. He is desperately trying to help his child out of a wheelchair. Your son was accused of murder, Chief Ironside, and you not only got Mister Mason here to defend him, but you did everything in your power to clear him. As a father, you should have some understanding of why he did it. It had nothing to do with you and me. He just wanted to help his daughter out of that wheelchair. Chief, you of all people," must understand that.

Outside, Della could hear every word that was being said. The door just wasn't thick enough to mask the loud boisterous voice of Robert Ironside. If she could, there was no doubt that Amy could as well. She watched the little girl, who had tears in her eyes. It broke Della's heart to see her so unhappy. "Are you alright, Amy?"

Amy wiped her face with the sleeve of her blouse. She looked at Della. "My daddy could not kill my mommy. He didn't do it." She began crying again.

Della put her arm around her. "Mister Mason doesn't believe it either. He is going to help your daddy. You have to trust him."

"But Chief Ironside said he would help me. Why is he trying to get Mister Mason not to help Daddy?"

"He is just upset by what your daddy did. He was wrong to force Chief Ironside and Mister Huff," Della told the little girl as she rocked her.

"He knows that now. He didn't mean to hurt him or Mister Huff. He gave himself up to Chief Ironside. He promised to help me."

Della got an idea. Perry and Robert loved working together. If anyone could convince Robert to help, it would be Amy. Right now he was simply to angry to listen to Perry. Amy, on the other hand could get past his anger. Robert might put on that rough, tough exterior, but he was a marshmallow when it came to kids.

"Amy, do you want Chief Ironside to help your daddy?"

The girl stopped crying. She looked up at Della with hope in her expression. "Do you think he will? Will you talk to him?"

"No, I don't think it would do any good for me to talk to him. He is too upset right now, but I do think you could talk him into helping," Della told her.

"Do you really? Would he help if I asked him? My daddy says he is the best detective in the whole-wide-world." She spread her arms emphasizing the world.

Della almost laughed, but held it back. "Yes, he is. You will have to talk to him and tell him how important it is to you to help your daddy. It might take you awhile, but I am sure you can do it."

"You really think I can do it?" She had stopped crying and had become very excited at the thought that Chief Ironside might help her daddy. With Mister Mason, the best lawyer in the whole-wide-world and Chief Ironside, the best detective in the whole-wide-world, her daddy would surely be able to come home again. "Let's do it!"

Della let go of Amy, turned her chair and wheeled her towards the door.

In the living room Charles Huff finished his lecture to Robert Ironside. He turned towards Perry Mason and said, "Mister Mason, I will not press charges against Lawrence Bradley. If you would like, I am more than willing to testify that the shooting was an accident, and that he expertly tended to the wound."

Perry smiled. One down and one to go. This one, however, was not going to be as easy. Being an officer of the law, Robert Ironside believed that if you do the crime, you do the time. Yet, Mason was fully aware of the lengths his brother went to straighten out Mark Sanger. Lawrence Bradley might have to do some time for what he did up here, but he would not go to jail for the rest of his life if he could get Bob to back off.

"Thank you, Mister Huff, I will most certainly take you up on that," the lawyer told him."

"I don't believe this! You are just going to let him get away with kidnapping and shooting you?" Ironside shouted.

"Yes, Chief, I am. I hope you will see things my way and not press charges either," Huff said.

The door to the shack opened, and Della pushed Amy inside. Standing to the side, Paul Drake and Ed Brown watched as they entered. Della had forgotten they were even there since neither of them had said a word since the discussion began. Paul would certainly be on Perry's side, so it did not surprise her that he just allowed Perry to handle it. Ed Brown remaining quiet did puzzle her. She would have thought that he would have been interjecting his opinion, which certainly would agree with Robert's.

"Della, I asked you to keep Amy outside," Ironside said.

"And I did, but Amy has something she has to say to you, Robert." Della wheeled Amy directly over to Chief Ironside."

He looked down at the little girl in the wheelchair. No girl her age should be confined to a damn chair. If there was anything to this surgery that could help her out of that chair, Ironside intended to see that she got it. If her situation was like his, hopeless, he would help her to adjust to life in a wheelchair. Either way, he intended to see that she got the help she needed.

Amy reached over and placed her tiny hand into the very large hand of Robert Ironside. It quickly disappeared inside his as he closed his fingers around it. The look on his face softened as she looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Alright, Amy, what did you want to tell me?" the detective asked her.

"Mister Mason is going to help my daddy. He is the best lawyer in the whole-wide-world. Please don't try to stop him from helping my daddy."

"Amy, your father broke the law when he forced Mister Huff and me ... "

"I know that," Amy interrupted him. "I was the one that made him see that. He knows it now. I could tell he feels bad about what he did. He would not have done it if it weren't for me," Amy said.

"No, you are not to blame for what he did," Ironside said softly. "He must face up to what he did, Amy."

"Chief Ironside, are you a father?" she asked him.

"Yes, but I was not allowed to raise my son."

"Still, wouldn't you do everything you could to help him if you thought you could?" she asked.

Ironside already knew the answer to that question as he did do everything he could to clear his son of a murder he did not commit. "Yes, Amy, I suppose I would."

"He was wrong, I mean the way he did it, but he did it because he loves me. I bet you love your son, even though you could not raise him."

"Yes, I do," Ironside admitted to her.

"Then you can understand that I love my daddy too. He could not kill my mommy, I know that."

"That is not for me to decide, Amy. The courts will decide that," Ironside said.

"But Mister Mason will try to prove to the courts that daddy did not do it, won't he?"

Ironside looked up at his younger brother who seemed to be enjoying the conversation between him and Amy. "Yes, he will do that."

"But it isn't enough, Chief Ironside."

"Mister Mason is a very good lawyer, Amy."

"But he his not a detective," Amy pointed out.

"That could be argued, but even if he were not any good at being a detective, he has Mister Drake, and he is a very good detective.

"But you are the best."

"Well, that could be argued too," Ironside said.

"Not according to my daddy. He said you are the best and so did Miss Street."

Ironside looked over at Della Street who had a smile on her face. He wondered just what was said between her and Amy. He could only guess, but he had a suspicion that it included talking him into helping Lawrence Bradley.

"Mister Mason doesn't need me," he told her. "He has Mister Drake."

Amy looked over at Paul Drake and Ed Brown. "Which one of you is Mister Drake?"

Paul took a step forward. "I am." He smiled at the little girl. He had a feeling he knew what Della had put her up to. It looked like he would be taking orders from Robert Ironside one more time.

"You could use Chief Ironside's help, couldn't you?" Even though it was a question, the tone of her voice made it sound more like a fact.

Paul grinned. "Of course I could, Amy."

Amy looked back at Chief Ironside. "See, even Mister Drake says he could use your help." She reached over with her other hand and placed it on the very large hand that was holding hers. "My mommy is gone. My daddy is all I have left. If he goes away for a very long time, what would happen to me? Don't you think I need my daddy, Chief Ironside?"

Perry slowly made his way over to Della. When he reached her, he placed an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "What have you been up to, Miss Street?"

Della turned and looked into his blue eyes. She whispered back to him. "You and Robert like to work together, and Amy's father would have the best defense and investigating team with you, Paul and Robert. Besides, I thought Amy could calm down your brother."

Mason smiled and kissed her temple. Sometimes Della knew just what to do to defuse a situation. They both watched the exchange between Amy and Robert and knew the big detective was softening. Amy would get her way, they had no doubt.

"Of course you need your daddy," Ironside agreed.

"Then will you help him, Chief Ironside?"

"Amy... "

"I know he will come home if you help Mister Mason. I just know it. Please, Chief Ironside, will you help him?"

Perry and Della already knew what his answer was going to be. He just could not resist a child asking him for help.

"Will you?" Amy asked again.

"Oh hell," Ironside said.

"Daddy says that is a bad word," Amy scolded.

Ironside looked down at the smiling girl and knew there was no way he could refuse her. "Alright, I will see what I can do."

"Oh thank you, Chief Ironside! Thank you!"

Ironside looked over at his brother, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What are you grinning at?" he snarled.

"Nothing, partner," Mason said, still grinning.

Ed Brown had a smile on his face. "Chief, Lieutenant Tragg wants you and Mister Huff in the marshal's office to make a statement. He wants to question the two of you."

"Well, let's get it over with," Ironside said.

"Chief," Huff said, putting his hand on Ironside's shoulder, "you made the right decision. I will help any way I can."

"You have done quite enough, Mister Huff," Ironside grumbled to laughter from the others.

xxxx

"You are not going to what?" Lieutenant Tragg growled.

"I am not pressing charges," Lieutenant, and there is nothing you can say to change my mind," Charles Huff said.

"The man kidnapped you and held you prisoner in your own home, and you are going to let him get away with it?" Tragg was up on his feet, pacing the marshal's office.

"That's right, Lieutenant. I am not pressing charges. He was only trying to help his daughter."

"He shot you for cripes sake!" Tragg was becoming extremely agitated. What he did not know was he had not even began to be agitated. "You can't let him get away with that!"

The corner of Perry's lips were turned up slightly. He almost felt sorry for the lieutenant. However, he could not quite bring himself to feel completely sorry for him. After all, he was the one that was collecting the evidence against his client. Bob never did say he was not going to press charges against Bradley, but he did tell Amy he would help her father. Perry was sure Tragg was not going to be happy when he tried to get his brother to press charges.

Lieutenant Tragg walked over to Ironside just a bit smugly. Well, maybe Charles Huff was willing to forget what happened, but Ironside was a cop. He would not allow Bradley to get away with it. "Chief Ironside, I trust as a police officer you will press charges against Lawrence Bradley for kidnapping."

Ironside just sat there. He looked down at Amy sitting in the wheelchair beside him. How could he allow Bradley to get away with what he had done? He was a cop. How many countless times had he arrested people and not looked the other way in any single case? Yet, the look in the little girl's eyes melted his heart. She had already lost her mother, a fact that she had been quick to point out to him at the shack. Now her father was facing a death penalty if his brother was unable to clear him of the murder charge. That would mean Amy would not have either parent to raise her. Ironside just could not do that to her.

Bradley had insisted to him that he had not killed his wife. Perry believed he didn't, and when was the last time Perry was wrong about a client's guilt? Still, he was a cop. Bradley should be charged with felony kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and a host of other charges.

He just could not do it. He promised Amy he would help her father and help him he would. "I am sorry, Lieutenant, I am not going to press charges."

Perry smiled. Bob was still a sucker for kids. He caught Della's eye and winked at her. She had been the one responsible for bringing Bob on board.

"You what!" Tragg was flustered. This just could not be happening. "May I remind you, sir, that you are a police officer?"

Ironside looked at Tragg. "I don't need to be reminded of that, Lieutenant."

"Obviously you do, Chief. This man is guilty of three counts of kidnapping."

"Two," Perry said. "I think I could make a pretty good argument that he was trying to get medical help for Amy. I doubt a court would consider that she had been kidnapped."

"What is wrong with you people? We have a murderer that kidnapped you, kept you prisoner and would have continued to do so ... "

"May I remind you that he surrendered himself to me," Ironside said.

"So you say," Tragg snarled.

"Do you think a court is going to doubt him with his reputation?" Perry raised an eyebrow.

Tragg threw his hands up in frustration and headed for the door. He grabbed the knob and opened it, but before he left, he turned back to Mason and Ironside. "You may get him out of the kidnapping charge, Perry, but you will never clear him of the murder charge. This time your client is guilty." He turned abruptly and left the marshal's office.

Ironside blew out a breath. "Ed, get us on the next flight to Los Angeles."

"Los Angeles, sir? What about Commissioner Randall? He is not going to agree to you helping with a case in Los Angeles," Ed said.

Ironside turned and said sarcastically, "He has nothing to say about how I spend my vacation. By the way, isn't it time you, Eve and Mark took a vacation?"

Ed smiled. "I will put in for it right away. It will, however, have to be approved by my superior officer."

Ironside had a bit of a smirk on his face when he replied. "Vacation approved, but only if you spend it in Los Angeles."

"Do I have a choice?" Ed asked with a grin.

"Don't worry, Ed. I am sure we will find something for you to do in Los Angeles," Paul said.

"I have no doubt of that. When do we get started?"

"Just as soon as we get back to LA," Perry said.

"LA," Ironside complained, "it is getting so that I am spending more time there then in San Francisco."

"Look on the bright side, Bob, you don't have to worry about a murder being committed on this vacation. It seems it was arranged in advance," Perry said.

Della had to turn her head away from Robert to keep him from seeing the smile on her face.


	10. Chapter 10

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 10

The jumbo jet liner landed in Los Angeles and taxied down the runway. Ironside looked out the window and shook his head. Why could he not just arrange to visit this city and his brother to just get together? Why was it every time he did, he was involved in investigating a murder case with Perry? He really did not need him, he had Paul Drake who was a very good investigator. Robert Ironside really did not need to question why, he was and always had been a sucker for kids. He could never refuse to help them if they asked for it.

As the plane came to a complete stop, the flight attendant approached him. "Chief Ironside, we have arranged for you to exit the plane ahead of the other passengers. If you will switch back to your wheelchair, we will wheel you out."

Perry Mason got up as a male flight attendant came forward with his brother's folded chair. Mason took the chair from him, opened and locked it so that it could not move. Without saying a word, he reached over as Ironside put his arm around Perry's neck. He lifted his brother and transferred him back to the wheelchair.

When the flight attendant prepared to wheel the detective out of the plane, Perry smiled and told him, "Thank you, but I will take it from here." He glance back to see that Della was reaching up to pull down their luggage. As he turned to help her, Paul Drake was already reaching over her head to remove the two suitcases from the overhead compartment.

"I got them, Della," Paul said.

Perry wheeled his brother out of the plane and into the terminal. Neither of them said a word. Mason knew his brother's heart was not in this case. He actually believed that Bob thought his client was guilty of the murder he was accused of. As usual, this was not going to be an easy case to prove Lawrence Bradley's innocence. Mason knew that Hamilton Burger was going to use his own brother as a witness against Bradley, and there was nothing Perry could do to stop it. The only advantage he had was his brother was an experienced detective who would not be tripped up on the stand. He hoped he could minimize the damage that he would do to his client.

As they entered the terminal, William Mason met them. "I heard on the television that Robert was coming to Los Angeles, so I thought that I would meet you two boys. I have a car outside. I am afraid that I will only be able to accommodate the two of you and Miss Street."

"That is not a problem, Mister Mason, I called ahead and one of my operatives is here to pick me up," Paul told him. "There he is now." He looked over at Perry and Della and said, "I will see the two of you tomorrow." Paul kissed Della on the cheek, waved at Perry and left them to join his operative.

"Hello, son. You are looking well," William Mason said to his eldest son. He reached out his hand which Ironside immediately took.

"It is good to see you again," he told his father. "I am sorry I have not kept in better communication with you. The job seems to take up most of my time."

"Oh, that's alright, Robert, Perry lives right here in Los Angeles, and I don't seem to see him any more often than I do you."

Perry cleared his throat, hoping to head off any remarks his older brother might come up with after his father's revelation. "Where's the car parked, Dad?"

"Just outside. The officer let me park in a no parking zone when I told him that I was picking up the two of you," their father revealed.

Amy looked over at Ironside. "Where will I ride?"

Ironside glanced back at his father. "We have room for Amy, don't we?"

Mister Mason looked down at the little girl in the wheelchair and noted how softly his son had spoken to her. "Of course we do," he said with a smile, looking down at Amy. William step behind her wheelchair and began pushing her towards the exit where the vehicle was parked. Ironside was right behind him. Perry, with Della's help picked up the suitcases and followed Robert and William to the vehicle.

Perry pointed to the SUV and smiled at Della. "He got a new car, and a Cadillac at that! Fitting a Mason, don't you think?" Della looked at the brand new Cadillac Escalade SUV. When their father opened the back, the new car smell hit them. The lawyer wheeled his brother over to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door. Moving his brother so that his chair was positioned with the side of the wheelchair to the vehicle, he once again lifted his brother into the front passenger seat. He then picked up Amy out of her chair and put her in the vehicle on the other side. After putting both wheelchairs in the back with the suitcases, Perry returned to the passenger side of the Cadillac.

Della soon joined him as he opened the door. He nodded at her, and she got into the Cadillac and slid across the seat next to Amy and smiled down at the little girl. Perry got in beside her. William Mason slipped into the front seat, put on his seatbelt, turned over the ignition and pulled the vehicle into the road. As it always was, the Los Angeles International Airport was busy and crowded.

Once they were away from the airport, William announced, "Your mother is making dinner for you. Robert, are you staying with Perry? Your mother and I would really like you to stay with us. You have been to the city several times and have not stayed with us."

Ironside looked into the back seat and Perry nodded his approval with a smile. It would actually be easier if he stayed in Perry's apartment, but how could he refuse his father.

"If you don't mind Amy staying as well for a few days until I can make arrangements for her, then I will be happy to stay with you," Ironside told him.

Perry almost chuckled at the soft tone of voice his brother used with their father and the little girl. When he spoked directly to him, his tone was much gruffer.

After a forty-five minute drive, they arrived at the Mason's home. It was a modest home despite the successful career his father had enjoyed. On many occasions Perry tried to pay for things for his parents, but his father would have no part of it. He told Perry every time, that he and Minerva were in excellent financial condition and that Perry should be using his money to buy his own home and vacate the small apartment he was living in. Mason had tried to help his father understand that he didn't spend much time in the apartment, mostly only to sleep. It was not practical for him to purchase a home. He would leave that until retirement. With the money he made as an attorney, he could easily purchase one without having to mortgage it. In fact, he and Della did have that little get-a-way English styled home in the country.

William Mason again attended to Amy Bradley while the younger Mason helped his handicapped brother into his chair. Father and son wheeled the chairs to the door. Mister Mason put his key into the door, but soon realized that it was not locked. "I don't know how may times I have told your mother to lock the door when I am not home. She just never listens to me."

Ironside looked back at his younger brother and quipped, "So that is where you get it." Della chuckled. The battle of wits had begun. Perry just looked at Della and grinned.

Once inside, Minerva Mason came out of the kitchen and greeted Bob Ironside first, gave Perry a kiss on the cheek, hugged Della and looked down at Amy. "And who might you be?"

"I am Amy Bradley," she said.

Minerva recognized the name right away. William had told her why Robert was coming to Los Angeles. "Welcome to our home, Amy." The little girl smiled at her and thanked her for letting her stay.

When they reached the dining room, Ironside told Amy to wheel into the only spot that did not have a chair. Since neither of the men's parents knew Amy was going to be with them, there was only one place set on the table without a chair, and that was for Robert.

Minerva quickly resolved the situation by pulling one of the chairs away from the table and adding another place setting. Once everyone was seated, she began putting dinner on the table. Della tried to help, but Minerva would not allow it. She told her she had everything under control. Della joined the rest of them at the table, sitting beside Perry.

Once the meal began, William wanted to ask his sons questions about what had happened in the Sierra Mountains but decided it could wait until after Amy had gone to bed. He was sensitive to the girl's feelings, knowing that this young lady had lost her mother and her father was in jail for her murder. He had to believe that the man was innocent since his son was willing to defend him. He had followed the story on the television. It was one that probably would never have hit the Los Angeles newspapers if it were not for the fact that Lawrence Bradley had chosen to kidnap his son, only the most famous detective in the country. Add Perry to the mix and it was the makings of sensational headlines.

"Robert, where is your staff?" he asked Ironside.

"In San Francisco," Ironside answered. "I had Ed drive the van back to the city, since I had to fly here to Los Angeles with Perry and Della."

"Are they not going to be helping with this case?" William Mason asked.

"I am afraid not. You see," he said, giving Perry a look that would have made anyone else cringe, "I am supposed to be on vacation. I get to spend it here, helping to pull Perry's chestnuts out of the fire."

Mason decided this was not the time to take the bait with the daughter of his client sitting at the table. When dinner was over, Perry caught his mother's eye and nodded towards Amy. She knew immediately what her son wanted.

"Amy, it is getting late. I think it is time you went to bed," Mrs. Mason told the little girl.

"But, I want to stay with Chief Ironside," she protested.

Ironside took the girl's hand and spoke softly to her. "I will look in on you later."

"Promise?"

Ironside smiled down at Amy and repeated, "Promise."

That seemed to satisfy her as she then willingly allowed Minerva Mason to wheel her out of the dining room. It was all William Mason could do to contain the questions. Both Perry and Robert could sense he was about to bombard them with inquiries.

Ironside put up his hand. "We will have plenty of time for this in the morning. Right now, I think I am going to retire for the night. It has been a long day." He wheeled out of the dining room to follow his step-mother for his room assignment.

William looked at his remaining son at the table. "It doesn't look good, does it?"

Before Perry could answer, Della spoke up, "It never does, Mister Mason. Perry and Robert have not scratched the surface. Once Paul and Robert start investigating, we will find out what really happened."

Perry took Della's hand in his. After kissing it, he said, "I think we will call it a day as well. Tell Bob we will pick him up in the morning. I am going to try to arrange a van like the one he drives in San Francisco. That way he can do some investigating on his own and will not have to depend on us to get him around.

"Please thank Mother for the wonderful dinner and tell her I will see her in the morning." Perry stood up. When he did, Della followed.

William Mason walked Perry and Della to the door." He opened it for them, but before he stood aside to let them out, he said, "Robert's heart is not in this case, is it?"

Perry sighed, but it was Della who answered. "He got into this case because of Amy. She personally asked him to help her father. We don't think Robert is convinced that Lawrence Bradley is innocent of his wife's murder."

"Do you think he did it?" he asked.

"No," Perry answered, "but proving it is going to be an uphill battle. The police and the district attorney will bring it up in court that he ran. That is considered an admission of guilt."

William Mason patted his son's shoulder. "You'll find the answers, son. You always do."

"Perry, we did not bring a vehicle here. How are you expecting to get home?" Della asked as she realized they did not bring a car with them.

William handed Perry the keys to the Cadillac. "Here, take my car, but do not drive it like a maniac, it is brand new."

Della looked at Perry and smiled. His reputation for driving recklessly apparently was known to his father. The lawyer looked at his father with a serious courtroom face and said, "I will treat it like it is my own." Della could not hold back, she began laughing.

Mister Mason took the keys out of Perry's hand and gave them to Della. "You drive."

Perry and Della left the house laughing.

xxxx

Paul Drake entered Police Headquarters. Lieutenant Tragg would have long since gone home. It was a perfect opportunity to check with his police detective friend and find out what he could about the case. He glanced down the hall looking for anyone that might recognize him. If he were to continue to get information from his friend, he had to make sure he did it without anyone knowing it. He would not endanger his friend's job.

Paul reached the office the detective shared with another officer who used it during the day. He quietly knocked on the door to avoid drawing the attention of anyone in the other offices.

"Come in," Detective Joe Tucker called out. When he looked up and saw Paul, he immediately asked, "Did anyone see you come in?"

"You know better than that, Joe. I wouldn't have come in if anyone would have seen me."

Joe waived Paul into the room. "Have a seat, Paul, I do have some information for you."

Drake sat down in a chair across from his friend's desk. "What information?"

"Well, for one thing, there is a video."

"A video?"

"Yea, of Lawrence Bradley murdering his wife, at least that is what the district attorney is going to say it represents."

'What do you mean?

Joe keyed something into the computer. "According to the report, apparently his face was never turned to the camera."

"Then how do they know it was Lawrence Bradley?" Paul asked.

Detective Tucker pressed a couple keys and the printer went into action. He pulled the black and white photo off the printer and handed it to Drake. Paul looked at it. It obviously was the wrist of someone. That was not what was important or even what caught his eye. The cuff links had initials on them, LRB. What is Bradley's middle name?" Paul asked.

"Ryan," Joe told him. "They are going to tie him to the murder with those cuff links."

"That is pretty weak, Joe. You can't see his face in that video. That could be anyone, someone who overheard him arguing with his wife over the kid. They could have taken advantage of it and killed Karen Bradley."

"Maybe, but how would they get hold of the cuff links?" Tucker questioned.

"If they were in the house and the wife didn't know it, they could have easily taken them ... especially if it was someone who knew the Bradleys, and had been in the house before," Paul surmised.

"Good luck proving that. There is also the other evidence of the argument and Bradley was seen leaving the scene of the crime. And, his prints were on the murder weapon, a bookend."

"Which he was known for being a prolific reader and kept the books he was reading between them," Paul countered.

"Again, Mason is going to have to prove that," Joe said.

"Anything else?" Paul asked.

"The bookend was found in Bradley's car, Paul," Joe told him.

"Planted," Paul replied.

Detective Joe Tucker sighed. "You sure die hard, Paul." The evidence is overwhelming when you put it altogether."

"All circumstantial," Paul countered.

"And most murderers are convicted on circumstantial evidence. They rarely stand in front of a camera and yell, I did it! Mister Mason should walk away from this one. Burger is giddy. He thinks this one is a slam-dunk winner."

"He always thinks the cases he tries against Perry's clients are slam-dunk winners. How has that worked out for him so far?"

Joe chuckled. "You got me there, but this one really looks bad, Paul. He ran. That is an admission of guilt, you know that."

Drake stood up. "He was trying to help his kid and he surrendered to Chief Ironside."

"Speaking of Ironside, is he going to come to Los Angeles and help his brother on this one?"

Paul answered him. "He is already here. He flew in with us."

"That means you will be taking orders from him." Joe grinned at him.

"I don't have a problem taking orders from Ironside. He's brilliant, besides I take orders from Perry all the time. It is all that damn chilli that I will be subjected to eating while he is here that is the problem."

Joe laughed at Paul's expense. "Be careful on your way out. I don't want anyone seeing your hide. Got that?"

The corners of Paul's mouth turned up. "What's the matter, Joe, don't you want to be seen with me?"

"Hell no! Now get out before someone comes in," he said with a grin.

Drake left his office, but not before glancing both ways down the hall. He hurried out of the building to avoid running into anyone.

xxxx

Della laid in Mason's arms. She could tell he was sleeping by the steady low snoring. She knew he was worried, but if he had asked her, all their cases looked bad in the beginning. Why should this one be any different than the rest? It would have been much easier if Robert had stayed with them, although, she knew Perry would not insist on it when his father wanted Robert to stay with them. His parents did not get much time to spend with Robert. From the remark William Mason had made, he did not get much time to spend with Perry either.

It was not entirely Perry's fault, Della knew that. When they did get some time away from his office, they usually spent it together. They spent most of there days and nights together, but most of the time it always entailed another murder case just as it did now. When they did not have a murder trial going, they tried to spend some time alone together. She would, however, have to insist Perry spend more time with his parents. She doubted they would get much of Robert's time even though he was staying in their home. It would be nice if they could only just invite him to Los Angeles for a visit, but the problem was every time the two of them got together, murder seemed to follow them. Before long they were immersed in another investigation and murder trial, just like the one they now had to solve.

Perry loved working with is brother, although, the last case had them a bit at odds. Hopefully, since no relative was involved, they would once again be able to work together without friction.

Mason began to stir. His eyes opened, he smiled as he looked at Della. "There is nothing better in this world than waking up with you in my arms."

"You need to sleep, Perry."

"I have been. By the way, you need to sleep too, you work just as hard as I do." He could sense something was bothering her. "What's the matter, why can't you sleep?"

"Amy Bradley, what is going to become of her until this trial is over?"

"Well, she is very comfortable with Bob. She could stay at our parents place until her father is release, but I doubt that will happen," Mason said.

"Jill Bradley?" Della surmised.

"She is probably going to demand that the child be put into her custody until the trial ends."

"Robert may not like that," Della observed.

"Probably not, but he will know that not much can be done about it, she is her next of kin. I don't know of a judge that will let her stay with Bob under the circumstances.

"Probably not," Della agreed. She did not say anything further, and before long she could hear the steady rhythm of Perry's snoring.

xxxx

Robert Ironside woke early in the morning to a knock on his door. "Come in."

Amy Bradley wheeled into his room. "Good morning, Chief Ironside."

Ironside smiled as the girl entered his room. "Good morning, Amy. Did you sleep well?"

She frowned. "Not really. All I could think about was my daddy being in jail."

Ironside reached out a hand. "Come here, Amy."

The little girl wheeled over to his bedside. "What is going to happen to me? Where will I stay?"

The chief took the girl's hand in his. "You have an aunt. She will probably request that you stay with her."

"I don't like Aunt Jill. She always treats my daddy bad," she said, crinkling up her forehead. "Can't I stay with you?"

"I doubt the judge will allow that, Amy, since you do have an aunt here in the city."

"But, she will think daddy killed mommy, and I know he would never do that. I want to stay with you. You can teach me things."

"I will talk to your aunt, but I am not promising that you will be able to stay here," he told her.

"You will try?"

"Yes, I will try," Ironside promised.

She smiled at him and left his room. Ironside pulled his wheel chair close to the bed, put on his robe with some difficulty, and then lowered himself into the chair. Amy didn't know it yet, but she had already started to become a little independent. She had gotten out of bed and into her chair without help.

Ironside wheeled out of his bedroom. As soon as he opened the door, he could smell the aroma of bacon and eggs. Why did everyone think you had to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast? Although, he would not complain, he had never cared for eggs. Since his step-mother made them for him, he would eat them without a word. Actually what he really wanted to do was skip breakfast and get to work. He stopped long enough to glance at his watch. It was six-thirty. He would have to hurry as he expected his brother to be her by eight o'clock if they were to be in his office by nine.

Entering the kitchen, Amy was eating her eggs as William Mason was telling her a ghost story. It was obvious that she was thoroughly entertained by his father.

Ironside took his place at the table just as Minerva Mason set a large plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. There was no skimping on the bacon as Mark always did. Apparently, his step-mother was not as worried about his waistline as Mark was.

When breakfast was done, Ironside wheeled towards the bathroom to take a shower. It occurred to him that he probably would have to settle for a sponge bath as his father would not have the handicapped provisions he would need. He wheeled into the bathroom and was surprised at what he saw. He remembered that this bathroom had a bath tub with an overhead shower head. In front of him was a shower, that had been installed. If it were necessary, he could actually wheel his chair into the shower. There were bars on all sides of the shower and it had a built in seat.

"We had that installed after the last time you were here. It was Minerva's idea. She wanted to make it as easy as possible for you to take showers when you stayed here," William Mason said behind him.

Ironside turned his chair slightly to face his father. "You did not have to go to such an expense for me."

William smiled. "You know, Perry is always trying to give us money, but I had a very successful business. Your mother and I are actually very well off for retirees. Besides, we are getting older and that shower will also make it much easier for us as well. Now, can I help you into the shower."

Ironside did not want his father attempting to lift him. It was different with Perry. He was much younger and very strong. He could do it himself without putting his father at risk. "Thank you, but I can handle it."

"Alright, I will leave you to take your shower. Perry called, he and Della will be here shortly to pick you up." He turned, left the bathroom and shut the door.

An hour later, Ironside was showered, shaved and dressed. He wheeled into the living room where Perry and Della were waiting for him.

"Bob, I took the liberty of calling the same company that provided the van the last time you were here, although, I am surprised they will provide one after the time one of them was blown up by a bomb. Anyway, I will drop you off and you can meet me at the office. I talked to Paul this morning and he has some news for us."

"What about Amy?" Della asked.

"You can leave her here," Minerva said. "We will be happy to take care of her until you can make other arrangements."

Ironside turned to Amy. "Is that alright with you, Amy?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, Mister Mason tells me stories."

Perry laughed as he remembered the stories his father told him as a kid. "Okay it is settled. We better get going." They had a lot of work to do, and Perry was anxious to get the investigation under way. Right now they had no idea who had killed Karen Bradley and they had no suspects. That had to change very quickly if he was going to get his client out of this murder charge.


	11. Chapter 11

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 11

Perry Mason pulled his father's car into the car rental parking lot and turned off the ignition. He got out of the vehicle and went around to the back. Using the key, he opened the hatchback door and lifted it upward. After removing his brother's wheelchair from the vehicle, he shut the door.

Mason opened the chair and wheeled it over to the passenger side of the vehicle. His brother had already opened the door. Ironside threw his arm around Mason's neck, and his brother lowered him into the chair. Della had gotten out of the Cadillac and joined them. Robert Ironside allowed his brother to wheel him into the office.

"Hello, Perry, how are you doing?" the clerk asked.

"Just fine, Charlie. Do you have that van ready for us?" he asked.

"Hi Chief, it has been a while since I have seen you. I follow the San Francisco Chronicle. I read about all your cases," Charlie told the detective.

"Not all of them, Charlie. Most of them don't even make the papers," Ironside told him. "I really do appreciate you providing me with a vehicle."

"No problem, Chief, but I would be grateful if you don't blow this one up," Charlie said with a grin.

"I'll try not to," Ironside said half-heartedly, "but I am not promising anything."

Perry covered his hand over his mouth to keep Charlie from seeing his amusement when he saw the look on Charlie's face after Bob's comment.

Perry signed the paperwork and paid the clerk for two weeks use of the vehicle. When the clerk handed Perry the key, he flipped it into the air to his brother. "I'll meet you at my office, Bob." Perry took Della's elbow and led her back to his father's Cadillac.

Ironside looked for the black Ford van that would be his transportation for the duration of the time he would be in Los Angeles. Once he had located the button that would lower the lift tray to the ground, he pressed it and backed up to give it room. He turned his wheelchair into position and wheeled backwards onto the lift. After he entered the vehicle, the chief looked over the controls to compare them to his own vehicle in San Francisco. Starting the Ford, he pulled it into the street and headed for the Brent building.

Ironside arrived at his brother's office building and parked the van. He noticed that their father's Cadillac which meant Perry and Della had arrived. He entered the building and rode the elevator to Mason's office floor. When the elevator doors opened Paul Drake was just walking by.

"Hello, Chief. I think we are headed to the same office," Paul said.

"We are, so let's get there," Ironside said gruffly.

Paul stood there a moment and watched the detective wheel away. Just like Ironside, he did not waste any time on small talk. Drake followed him down the hall, picking up his pace to catch up with him.

They arrived at Mason's office. Paul opened the door, stood back and allowed Ironside to enter the outer office. Gertie smiled as they came in, greeted them and picked up the phone to inform her boss that his brother and Paul had arrived. Turning back to look at the new arrivals, she told them to go right in.

Della met them as they entered her office and showed them into Perry's private office. Perry stood up as they came in. "Good morning, Paul, I understand you have some information for me."

Ironside settled his wheelchair in front of his brother's desk as Paul headed for the overstuffed chair, sitting sideways and throwing his leg over the arm of the chair.

"I do, but it's not good news," Paul informed him.

"Well, let's have it," Mason said. He had to remind himself that it always looked bleak at this time of an investigation.

"The prosecution found out that Karen Bradley had filed for divorce and was requesting for full custody of Amy Bradley."

"There's your motive for murder," Ironside said. "There is no way Lawrence Bradley would allow that. He was obsessed with helping Amy get out of that chair. Despite his behavior, he loves that little girl. The prosecution will claim he killed her in order to stop his wife from taking the child away from him."

Perry did not need his brother to tell him about motive. He knew Amy Bradley was going to be that motive. "Paul, I want you to check out Karen Bradley thoroughly. Find out if she was having an affair and it so, with whom."

Paul pulled out the small notebook from his pocket and began writing in it.

"We also need to check out the sister," Ironside said. "Is there any money involved? If there is, could there have been a struggle over who would control it?"

"Good point, Bob. I am going to leave that with you. Della and I are going to talk to the neighbor who saw Bradley come out of his house. So, lets all get started." He turned to his brother. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ironside snarled.

"Alright then, let's go, Della. Perry took her by the elbow and headed for the door. Paul went out the private entrance.

Ironside went directly over to the phone. Rather than bother Gertie, he dialed the number to his office. Waiting for it to be answered, Gertie came in.

"I saw that you were on the phone, Chief Ironside, but there is a woman in the lobby that demands to see you," she informed him.

Ironside put the phone back in the cradle. "Who is it?"

"Jill Bradley," she responded.

Ironside thought for a moment. "Alright, send her in."

Gertie disappeared for a minute and return with Amy's aunt.

"I came here to see Perry Mason, but I have been informed he is not in. You are Mason's brother, are you not?"

Ironside noticed her uppity attitude instantly. He had no doubt that she thought speaking to a cop instead of his lawyer brother was beneath her. "That's right, I am Robert Ironside."

"Chief Robert Ironside from San Francisco?"

"That is correct," he answered. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't want to talk to you, I want to talk to Perry Mason. He has my niece and I want him to turn her over to me immediately. He has no business holding her." There was an edge to her voice that could not be missed.

"Mister Mason is not here right now. I will leave him a message that you came to his office."

She took several steps towards the detective that Ironside considered threatening but said nothing. "I am not going anywhere until Mason gets his ass back in this office."

Ironside was of the old school, he hated it when women swore. He was not a chauvinist by any stretch of the imagination, he simply felt it was unladylike for a woman to use that kind of language. He had always considered his mother to be the standard of how a woman should behave. She was a lady in the true sense of the word. "Mister Mason may not be back for hours, Miss Bradley. You may have a very long wait. Why don't you let me help you?"

"I want my niece, can you help me with that?" she sneered at him.

"Amy doesn't want to stay with you, she has made that very clear to me."

"I suppose she wants to stay with you, Ironside?"

"That's Chief Ironside, Miss Bradley. And as far as staying with me, I can help her to accept her disability and teach her things that she should have been taught from the beginning. It will only be temporary until Mister Mason clears her father of this murder charge."

She began laughing hysterically. Ironside watched her but said nothing. He was not surprised that Amy did not want to stay with this woman. He wondered if she behaved in this manner every time she did not get her way.

When she stopped laughing, she said, "Larry will be convicted, and not even the great Perry Mason can do anything about it. He killed Karen and the evidence is there. However, I am not going to discuss the case with you since you are Mason's brother. I am a witness for the prosecution," she proudly said.

Ironside said nothing. She was telling him more than she realized. The chief trusted his instincts, and they were telling him the woman did not want the little girl because she cared about her. He was more convinced there was money behind that girl somehow.

"I want Amy and I expect you to produce her," she ordered.

She did not realize that Ironside did not take orders very well, not even from his boss, Commissioner Dennis Randall. He remembered the look in Amy's eyes when he suggested that she might have to go live with her aunt. It was almost a terrified look. The detective made an instant decision. "Amy's father wants her to remain with me until after the trial, and that is exactly what is going to happen."

Again she began laughing. "Do you really think any judge in this city is going to allow you to keep her, why you are nothing but a total stranger. I will take you and Mason to court if I have to. I suggest you avoid that and turn that kid over to me."

"She's a little girl, a kid is a goat. I suggest you go file for custody, and I will have my brother file a counter suit. It has become obvious to me why Amy doesn't want to live with you. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to do."

Jill Bradley had fire in her eyes. The nerve of this man. If the kid was in this office, she would just use force to take Amy. What could this cripple do about it? He was no different than Amy, stuck in a chair. He was just as useless as Larry's kid. She turned and stormed out of the office. As a parting shot, she shouted, "You will be hearing from my lawyer, Ironside."

"That's Chief Ironside, Miss Bradley, and I look forward to it. I already have a lawyer and a damn good one at that," he called after her raising his voice.

Ironside again picked up the phone. He dialed his office and waited for it to be answered.

"Chief Ironside's office," Eve Whitfield said.

"Eve, is Ed there?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, Chief. He is right here.

"Put me on speaker," Ironside ordered.

"Done, Chief," Eve told him.

"I want the two of you to drop what you are doing and find out everything about Jill Bradley, she is the sister of Lawrence Bradley. Check her bank records, associates and lovers, if any. I don't think Perry and I are going to get much cooperation out of Lieutenant Tragg."

"Alright, Chief. We will get started right away," Ed said, as his boss hung up the phone.

xxxx

"Della, did you call ahead and ask for permission to visit the murder scene?" Mason asked.

Della gave him a half-smile and answered with a question of her own. "When was the last time I didn't do something you asked me to do?"

Mason smiled as he turned off the engine of his father's car. "I am entitled to a silly question now and then." He got out of the vehicle and walked around to the other side. As he reached it, Della had the door opened and was preparing to step out.

"Stop right there young lady, that is my job." The lawyer pushed the door opened, took Della's hand and helped her from the vehicle.

"Sorry, you are just about the only man left that opens doors for women these days," Della said as he took her elbow to lead her to the house in front of them.

"My mother would tan my hide if I did not treat a lady with respect, and that includes opening doors," he said with a smile.

They walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. Mason glanced over to the home next door, which he knew to be Lawrence Bradley's. He had been in the home many times. There was a police officer standing at the door. He probably was the one instructed to accompany Perry and Della into the house to check out the murder scene.

The door opened and a little elderly lady stood on the other side. "Yes, may I help you?" There was a light of recognition in her eyes. "You're Perry Mason!"

The lawyer smiled and acknowledged her remark. "That's right. Are you Helen Renali?"

"I am," the little old lady said. Her almost blue hair was shining in the sunlight. "Is there something I can do for you young man?"

"I was wondering if I could speak to you for a minute. May we come in?" Mason said with a smile.

She looked him up and down and then at Della "I suppose it would be alright. She opened the door wider and allowed Perry and Della to enter. The door opened into a spacious living room that had a fireplace at the back of the room. A large flat screen television was mounted over it. The furniture in the room was Queen Anne style in cherry. Perry led Della to the couch and sat down only after she had. He introduced her to Mrs. Renali.

"Would you like some tea?" Mrs. Renali asked them.

Both Perry and Della accepted her offer. She disappeared into the kitchen and soon returned with a tray containing a teapot with three cups on saucers. After pouring the tea, she handed Della the first one and then handed a tea cup and saucer to Perry.

She took the last one off the tray for herself and sat down. After taking a sip of the tea, she said, "Now, exactly what can I do for you, Mister Mason?"

"You are aware that Karen Bradley was murdered next door, aren't you?" Mason asked.

"Just tragic, just tragic," she replied.

"It is my understanding that you saw someone leaving the house. Did you recognize the person?"

"I certainly did," she answered. "It was Lawrence Bradley pushing his little girl in the wheelchair."

"Are you certain of that?" Mason questioned.

"Yes, I saw them every day, or heard them."

"What do you mean heard them?" Della asked.

"They argued all the time over poor little Amy. Mister Bradley was always trying to help the little girl, but Mrs. Bradley did not want to spend the money on the child. I heard her say she was not wasting any more money on that kid."

"She said that?" Mason wanted to be sure she had use that exact phrasing.

Mrs. Renali nodded. "She certainly did. She was downright mean to that child, at least I thought so."

"Why? Was there other incidences?" Della asked.

"It was just in the manner in which she spoke to her," the old lady said. The girl was a cripple and she could not do things that her mother expected her to do."

"Like what?" Mason asked.

"Well, she would expect her to carry her own dinner outside. Now how is someone in a wheelchair supposed to do that? Amy tried, but she would occasionally drop it. Her mother would yell at her like she was a normal kid that had just carelessly dropped the tray on the ground. I understand the girl had to learn to do things for herself, but her mother just expected too much."

Perry thought about his brother that could do so many things on his own without any help. Karen Bradley may have had the right idea to force her daughter to do things for herself, but it sounded like she was going about it wrong. "Was there anything else?"

"When Mister Bradley would go out of town on business, she would pawn the child off on the same woman. Then Mrs. Bradley would have a male visitor."

"A brother perhaps," Della suggested.

Mrs. Renali shook her head. "I had a brother, Miss Street. We never greeted each other that way."

"What way?" Perry asked.

"Well, they would hug each other and kiss."

"As lovers would do?" Mason tried to clarify.

"I don't want to start any rumors, but it looked that way to me."

"You mean they would do it right outside in public?" Della asked in disbelief.

"No, but if you look over there," she pointed to the window, "there is a window directly across from mine. They would do it in front of that window every time he would come over, which was every time her husband was out of town."

"Would you recognize this man if you saw him again?" Perry asked.

"I certainly would," she said confidently.

"I may need you to testify for Mister Bradley. Would you be willing to do that?" Perry asked, turning on his charm.

"I would, but I am not sure Mister Burger is going to allow it," she told Mason.

"Mister Burger?" Mason exclaimed.

"Yes, he is calling me as a witness," she informed him.

"Didn't Mister Burger tell you not to talk to me?" the attorney asked.

"No, he did not. Should he have?" Mrs. Renali said, a bit concerned.

"Usually, he tells his witnesses not to speak with me. You be sure to tell him that you did not inform me you were a prosecution witness until after we had spoken," Mason requested of her.

"You mean I could get you in trouble by talking to you?" Her face showed the worry that was evident.

"If I had known you were a prosecution witness I would not have questioned you. Mister Burger could charge me with trying to intimidate a prosecution witness."

"Oh dear, Mister Mason, I am sorry. I didn't know."

"You could not have known if he did not tell you not to speak with me," Mason soothed. "He is not going to bring up some of the things I have asked, so I will be doing so on cross-examination. Is that alright with you?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, and I won't tell Mister Burger you talked to me either."

Mason stood up, taking Della Street by the elbow. He smiled at the elderly woman and set his and Della's teacups back on the tray. "You make exceptional tea, Mrs. Renali. I can't remember when I have had a better cup of tea."

Flattered with the lawyer's remark, she responded, "Why thank you, Mister Mason, I take pride in my tea."

"You should, it is excellent. Miss Street and I must be going, but I appreciate your help. If I can find the man Karen Bradley was seeing, will you be willing to identify him for me?"

"Oh absolutely!" It was obvious that the old woman was completely drawn in by Perry Mason's charm.

"One last question, did you tell Mister Burger about this male visitor?" Mason wanted to know.

"No, he never asked. Do you want me to not tell him if he asks?"

Mason shook his head. No, you are to tell him the truth no matter what he asked you, is that clear?" Perry looked directly into her eyes.

"Yes, Mister Mason, if that is what you think I should do."

Mason smiled at her again. He chucked her under her chin to her delight. "That is exactly what I think you should do.

Mason decided to delay looking at the murder scene. He wanted Bob with him when he did that. He walked over and spoke to the officer who agreed to return the next day. Mason rejoined Della and helped her into the SUV as they drove away.

xxxx

Paul Drake entered the office of Selmer and Sons. Karen Bradley had worked at the office for years as one of the accountants. Drake entered and looked around. There were people sitting in chairs in the main lobby. It was extremely crowded. Drake walked up to the desk. He stood there for sever minutes before anyone even acknowledged his presence.

Finally a woman Drake estimated to be in her thirties walked over to him from the other side of the window. "Can I help you?"

"My name is Drake." Paul flashed his private detective credentials at the woman. "I would like to talk to the owner."

"I am sorry, Mister Drake, but we are short handed and this is the busiest time of the year for us. I am afraid there is no one available to speak with you at this time. If you would like to make an appointment, I will try to fit you in."

"Short handed? How come?" Paul asked, knowing fully well why they were.

"One of our employees, Karen Bradley was murdered by her husband. She was one of our busiest accountants. We have had to shift her clients to others and we are just swamped right now."

"I see. How long did she work here?" Paul asked.

"I am not sure, but I know it was a long time. She was here before I started."

"I bet all the other employees are quite upset over her death." Paul continued to fish for information.

The woman looked around and lowered her voice. "To tell you the truth none of the employees could stand Karen. She was a miserable human being. She got to be one of the top paid accountants by sleeping her way there. She was nasty to the rest of the accountants as if they were beneath her. And as far as the office staff," she turned and looked at the other secretaries in the office," she treated us like dirt. No, I am afraid other than the fact that it has put a lot of pressure on all of us, believe me no one will miss the witch."

"Wow, I am sorry." Drake looked around trying to determine where the offices were for the accountants. "Hey, is there a chance that I could get a look at her office? I am a detective and I am investigating the case."

"Gee, I don't know. I should get the permission of the owner before... but wait you are a police detective, so I guess it would be alright. Just a minute and I will let you in."

Paul smiled at her. "Thank you. It is much appreciated."

She left the counter, disappeared around the corner and the door to Drake's left opened. "Right this way, Detective Drake."

Paul followed her. He was passed by several other people hurrying through the halls holding folders of what he assumed were the financial papers of clients. At the end of the hall, the woman stopped and opened the door.

This was Karen's office. She was pretty messy, and was the only one that could get away with it. The rest of the accountants would get in trouble if they kept their offices in this manner. When you are done, you can leave by the same way you came in." She turned and walked away.

Drake watched her leave with an appreciative eye. The woman was actually very beautiful and moved with considerable grace. When she was no longer in sight, he turned to step in the office of Karen Bradley. Paul took one look around and could see that the woman had not been exaggerating, not even a little. The place was a mess. One could barely see over the desk due to the stacks of paper that were piled high enough to almost completely conceal anyone that might be sitting behind the desk. Drake could not believe Karen Bradley could have considered interviewing people in such a disarray. If he had walked in to the room as a client, he would have walked right back out. Some one this disorganized would never be allowed to handle his affairs.

Well he had to start somewhere. Drake walked around the desk and sat down. Looking at the stacks of paper in front of him, he knew he had no right to anyone's private financial affairs. He would not even look at those stacks of papers, it was not what he was here for anyway.

Paul reached out and opened the middle desk drawer. He pushed the papers around trying to find something that might shed some light on who Karen Bradley was. He found nothing of interest so he continued to check the other drawers. He mostly found the same things that were found in anyone's desk; pads of papers, staples, paper clips, pens and pencils. There was nothing that he could see that didn't have anything to do with her job. Drake opened the final drawer which was empty except for an upside-down photo frame. He reached in and pulled the frame out. Turning it over, he looked at the photo. It was that of a man, probably around the same age as Karen Bradley. The bottom of the frame read, 'With love, Jay.' He wondered who the man was.

Paul took his cellphone out of his pocket, pressed the icon for the camera. After centering the picture in the middle, he took three snapshots of the photo and returned the phone to his pocket. Paul put the photo back into the drawer exactly as he had found it and closed it.

The door to the office opened and Lieutenant Tragg entered with a man Paul did not recognize, along with the woman that had allowed him to enter.

"Drake! What are you doing here?" Tragg demanded.

The woman that had allowed Paul to enter turned to Tragg with a surprised look and said, "Didn't you send Detective Drake?"

"Detective Drake?" He looked over at the private eye. "It is a crime to impersonate a police officer, Drake."

"I did not impersonate an officer. I never told this young lady that I was a cop."

"But you said you were a detective," she protested.

"I am a detective, a private detective," Paul said.

"Why did you let this man into this office, the man that had come in with them demanded.

"I thought he was a cop. He showed me his badge. He said he was a detective!"

"Okay, Drake, what are you doing here? Tragg demanded.

"Same thing you are, Lieutenant, investigating."

"Have you taken anything from this office?" Tragg demanded.

"Not a thing," Paul said, which was technically correct. He had not taken the photo, he had only taken a picture of it. He was not about to tell that to the lieutenant.

"Then get out of here, Drake. I could arrest you for trespassing."

"No sir, Lieutenant, I had permission to be in here," Paul argued. "I would just call Perry and he would have me out of your jail in a matter of minutes, not to mention you would be opening yourself and the police department to a lawsuit."

Tragg's look immediately soured. "Get out, Drake before I arrest you anyway and Drake..."

"Yes, Lieutenant," Paul said.

"Watch yourself."

Drake grinned. "Always do, Tragg." He beat it out of the office before Tragg could change his mind.

xxxx

Ironside wheeled his chair into the elevator of the Brent building. He pushed the button for the eighth floor where Perry's office was located. When he arrived, the detective wheeled out of the elevator and headed for his brother's office.

Opening the lawyer's outer office door, Ironside put his hands on both sides of the frame and pulled his wheelchair into the lobby. He looked over at Gertie, who was on the phone. He waited until she completed her conversation and hung up.

"Is my brother in yet?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, Chief Ironside, he and Miss Street got back a few minutes ago. I will let him know that you have arrived. She picked up the phone, pressed the intercom button and waited for Della to answer.

"Miss Street, Chief Ironside has arrived... yes, I will tell him." Gertie shut off the intercom button, looked over at Ironside and said, "You may go right in, Chief." Her duty to Ironside completed, she lowered her eyes and returned to her work.

Robert Ironside entered Della Street's outer office and wheeled over to Perry's private office door. The door opened and Della greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Robert, come right in. Perry is expecting you."

Ironside wheeled into his brother's office. Perry was sitting behind his desk when he entered. The lawyer stood up. "Hello, Bob. Paul will be here any minute. Then we can update each other."

"Robert, would you like a cup of coffee?" Della asked.

Ironside smiled at the secretary and answered, "You need ask?"

Della headed for the coffee pot and brought back a cup filled with freshly brewed coffee.

Ironside took a sip of coffee and looked up at Della. "Much better than Mark's coffee. Why is it only woman know how to make a decent pot of coffee?"

"Because men don't want to make it themselves," Della said with a slight smirk.

"We are not fooling them a bit, Bob," Perry said, chuckling.

Paul Drakes' code knock sounded on Perry's private entrance door. Della headed for it. "That's our wandering boy." She walked over to the private door, opened it and Paul came in.

"Hello, beautiful," he said with a smile.

"Hello, Paul," she returned.

"Okay Paul, what have you got for us? Perry asked.

Drake reached into his pocket, pulled out his cellphone and brought up the image of the picture he had taken in Karen Bradley's office. He handed the phone to Perry and sat down in the overstuffed chair, throwing one leg over the arm and leaning his back against the other arm.

Mason looked at the picture and handed it to his brother. After studying it, Ironside flipped the phone over to Drake. "That's the man she was having an affair with?"

"We don't know that yet," Drake said, "it could be her brother for all we know."

"Karen Bradley doesn't have a brother," Ironside said without looking at Drake.

"How do we know that?" Perry asked.

"Because I checked it out," Ironside said, gruffly. What do you think I was doing all day?"

Perry smiled. "I thought you were entertaining Amy."

Della shook her head as she knew Perry was just trying to bait his brother. She tried to head it off with a question. "How did you find out?"

"I went to the City Hall and checked her birth records. Once I had her parent's names, there was no other births recorded to them," Ironside said. "Standard operating procedure. So if he isn't a brother, than a lover is the logical explanation."

"So okay, she doesn't have a brother, but we don't have any proof that she had been having an affair," Paul said.

Actually, we do have some corroboration that she was," Perry said. He told them about his visit to Helen Renali and what she told them about seeing through her window.

"So there you have it, she was having an affair," Ironside said, looking at Paul Drake. "Did you find out who Jay is?"

Paul shook his head. I haven't had time. "But none of the people in Karen's office building could stand her. She apparently, as the woman in the office put it, slept her way to the top."

"Paul, the owner, is his first name Jay?" Perry asked.

"No, I checked that out. He had a name tag on his shirt. I checked with one of the other girls in the office and no one works there with a first name of Jay."

"What about Jason?" Ironside asked.

"No, Chief. I thought of that, but there are only four men who work in the company. James, John David and William, no Jay or Jason," Paul told Ironside.

"Then she wasn't having an affair with anyone in her office," Della said.

"We don't know that yet. He could have been using an alias," Ironside said, or a middle name."

"That I didn't check," Paul said.

"Don't you think you should?" Ironside said. Perry almost laughed at the look on Paul's face.

Drake kept his composure and answered the chief. "I'll check it out tomorrow."

"You do that," Ironside said.

"Now what about you, Bob? What else did you find out today?" Perry said to his brother.

"We received a visit from Jill Bradley just after you left this morning," Ironside informed them.

"What did she want?" Della asked.

"Amy Bradley," Perry surmised.

"That's right," Ironside confirmed. "I told her she can't have her."

"You what?" Perry exclaimed. "Bob, she is the little girl's next of kin. If she takes it to court... "

"And she will," the detective interrupted.

"Then the court is going to order you to turn Amy over to her aunt."

"Not if Lawrence Bradley makes me her legal guardian until this case is resolved."

"What about Amy? Wouldn't she be better off with her Aunt?" Della asked.

"I don't thinks so," Ironside answered. "Amy doesn't like her aunt. I get the feeling she is scared of her. She doesn't like the way she treats her father." He turned his attention back to his brother. "If he makes me her guardian, what are the chances the courts will honor it?"

"It is hard to say, Bob. Her father is on trial for the murder of his wife. If Jill Bradley wants temporary custody of the child, a judge might lean towards giving her to the aunt. On the other hand, if Lawrence does agree to make you the legal guardian, you have an excellent reputation with the courts. However, I am not sure that will be enough. A judge might think she would be better off with a relative."

"A relative Amy doesn't like and is scared of?" Ironside challenged. "What if Amy came to court and told the judge she would prefer to stay with me?"

"Well, it could have some influence on the judge," Perry said.

"Then I want to see Lawrence Bradley in the morning," Ironside insisted.

Perry sighed. "I suppose you want me to draw up the papers in the morning."

"No, it would be better if you did it tonight and filed them early tomorrow. Ask for a hearing with the judge right after Bradley is arraigned, he is being arraigned tomorrow, is he not?"

"Yes, he is. Alright, I will draw up the proper petition and file it in the morning. I can't guaranty that the judge will hear it tomorrow."

"We won't know until we try, will we?" Ironside said sarcastically.

Now it was Paul's turn to be amused. He caught Perry's eye and gave him a big smirk.

Ironside turned his chair around. "There isn't much else we can do tonight. I am going home."

Perry and Della smiled at each other with Bob's use of the word home. Perry stood up and said, "Before you go, did you find anything on Jill Bradley?"

"I put Ed and Eve on that. They can use the power of the San Francisco police to check her bank accounts and find out if there is a money trail leading to Amy. We sure will not get any help with Tragg on that." Ironside headed out of Perry's office before the lawyer had a chance to ask any more questions. He was hungry and he wanted to get back to Amy.

Paul watched Ironside leave. "Your brother has not changed a bit."

Perry grinned. "Did you get the feeling we are one of his detectives being chastised for something he felt we should have already done?"

"I don't know how Ed and Eve put up with him" Paul said, shaking his head. He was smiling despite his statement. He knew Ironside and his people well enough to know they all respected each other. "Well, if there is nothing else, Perry, I am going home. I will get on finding out who the mysterious man in Karen Bradley's life was tomorrow."

"Paul, do it quietly. If Tragg gets wind of it... "

"I know, it would give Bradley another motive for killing his wife." Drake got up and headed out the door.

"Well, Mister Mason, we are alone at last," Della said.

"And just our luck we have work to do. Let's get started on the petition for the court."

Della sat down beside the lawyer with a pen and note pad.


	12. Chapter 12

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 12

Robert Ironside and Perry Mason entered the jail. They were led to an interrogation room where Lawrence Bradley was awaiting them. Ironside put both hands on each side of the door frame and pulled his wheelchair into the room. Mason followed him in and took a seat directly across from Bradley. Ironside settled his chair next to his brother.

"Where is Amy?" Bradley asked frantically.

"She is with us at the present time," Mason told him. "She is staying at our parents house, where Chief Ironside is also staying."

"Oh thank God! I don't want her staying with Jill. Amy is afraid of her, and she treats her poorly. Mister Mason, what is going to happen to her while I am locked up in here?"

"That is what we came to talk to you about" Mason told him. "Jill Bradley has already come to see us. She is going to be seeking temporary custody of Amy until the trial is over."

Bradley grabbed a hold of Mason's arm and cried out in panic. "You cannot allow that! I do not want Amy with her. She doesn't care anything about her, she is only trying to get her hands on the money!"

"What money are you talking about?" Ironside asked.

"When my father died, he left a sizable amount of money for Amy. I am the custodian for that money. I have seen to it that the money is only spent on Amy, despite Karen and Jill's attempt to get a hold of it."

"How much money?" Mason inquired.

"It is approximately two-hundred-fifty-thousand dollars. I have used the money for her therapy, new wheelchairs and equipment to help her raise and lower herself in and out of bed. It is also been used to pay her doctor bills."

"Were any limitations put on you as far as spending the money?" Ironside inquired.

Bradley shook his head. "None whatsoever. My father had no reason to not trust me. I have never allowed one single penny to be spent on myself or on Karen. It has been a major problem between us as Karen felt that buying furniture and spending the money on the house was no different than spending it on Amy since she lived with us."

"Have you kept track of where the money has gone?" Mason asked him as he lit a cigarette. He handed it to Bradley who took it and immediately began smoking. His hands shook so badly, that Mason wondered how he could maneuver the cigarette to his mouth.

"I have a detailed ledger of where every penny went," Bradley informed them.

"And where is that ledger now?" Ironside asked.

"It is in the lower right-hand drawer of my desk in the study."

"I want your permission to go into the house and pick it up," Mason told him.

"You've got it. Now what about Amy? Are you going to stop Jill from getting custody of her?"

"Mister Bradley, I would like you to consider allowing Amy to stay with me during the course of this trial," Ironside requested. "I can teach her much about being in a wheelchair. Furthermore, I don't want to see her go to Jill Bradley either."

Lawrence Bradley did not hesitate. "Absolutely, can that be arranged legally?"

"It might not be easy," Mason told him. "Jill Bradley is her closest living relative. A judge may decide that it is in her best interest to remain with Jill Bradley."

"Mister Mason, you have to try. What do I have to do to give Chief Ironside temporary custody of Amy?"

"I have drawn up a document to petition the court, giving Chief Ironside temporary custody. It will require your signature."

"I will sign it, Mister Mason if it will keep Amy away from Jill."

Mason opened his briefcase and removed the document. He placed it in front of Lawrence Bradley and handed him an ink pen. Pointing to the line he needed to sign, Mason said, "Sign here."

Bradley eagerly signed the document authorizing Chief Ironside to get custody of Amy if the courts would allow.

"We need your permission for one other thing" Ironside said.

"What would that be?" Bradley asked.

"The judge maybe more willing to award temporary custody to Chief Ironside if Amy were to appear in court, and tell the judge she does not want to stay with her aunt, and would prefer to stay with Chief Ironside."

"Do we have to involve Amy in this?" Clearly, Bradley did not want Amy to go to court.

"I wouldn't do it unless I thought it was imperative that she appear in court" Mason said. "Without her appearance, I don't think we will have much of a chance of keeping Jill Bradley from being awarded custody of the child."

Bradley shook his head back and forth. He did not want his daughter subject to court proceedings regarding her temporary custody. He had already put Amy through so much, he just did not want to hurt her. Yet, he certainly did not want Jill Bradley to get custody of her.

Perry could see that Lawrence Bradley was struggling with the decision. "I need an answer," Perry said, "if we are to petition the court today."

"I will leave the decision up to Amy. If she is willing to do it, then I am okay with it."

Ironside immediately turned his chair and began wheeling towards the door. "Come on, Perry. We don't have much time. We have to get to court. We can pick up Amy on the way."

Mason placed the petition in his briefcase and closed it. "Lawrence, I will see you in court at the arraignment." He turned and followed his brother out of the interrogation room.

*

In order to save time, Perry called Della and had her pick up Amy. She arrived at court and met Perry and Robert in time to file the petition.

Ironside wheeled over to the little girl. "Amy, I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Your father has agreed to allow you to stay with me until the trial is over. Now we must convince the court to allow it."

"But if Daddy says it is alright, then why do we have to ask the court?" It was obvious she did not understand.

"Amy," Mason interrupted, "the judge has to decide what is best for you. Chief Ironside would like you to stay with him."

"I would like that too."

"We would like you to tell the judge that," Mason told her.

"I don't want to talk to a judge," Amy said, shaking her head back and forth.

"Amy, if you don't talk to the judge, you will end up staying with your Aunt Jill," Perry said gently.

The little girl began to panic. "But I don't want to stay with her. I don't like her. She is mean."

"Amy, if you want to stay with me, you will have to tell the judge why you don't want to stay with your aunt," Ironside told her. "You do want to stay with me, don't you?"

"Yes, Chief Ironside, please don't make me stay with Aunt Jill," she pleaded with the detective.

"Will you talk to the judge?" Perry asked her.

"I guess so, if I have to."

"Okay, we have an appointment with him shortly," Mason told her. He turned and looked at his brother and gave him a quick nod.

*

With Della Street at his side, Perry Mason entered the courtroom. Robert Ironside settled his wheelchair directly behind Mason's table.

Hamilton Burger walked over to the defense attorney and offered his hand. "Perry, I am willing to work out a deal if you wish to plead to a lesser charge."

Mason shook Burger's hand. "I am not interested in a deal, my client is innocent."

Surprised at Mason statement, Hamilton said, "You can't possibly believe that!"

"I do believe it and I intend to prove it," Mason said.

"This is a one-time offer, Perry. If we go to trial, I will ask for the death penalty."

"We are going to trial and there will be no death penalty. I told you, I intend to prove Mister Bradley's innocence."

"All right, suit yourself. But I think you are doing your client an injustice. He would get a much lighter sentence under second degree murder."

Mason smiled. "I would be doing him a much bigger injustice if I allowed him to be convicted of a crime he did not commit."

Hamilton just shook his head and returned to the prosecutor's table.

Judge Coleson came out of his chambers. Everyone stood up as he took his place on the bench. "Please be seated. I believe the next case is the People of the County of Los Angeles vs Lawrence Ryan Bradley. How does the defendant plead?"

Perry Mason stood up. "The defendant pleads not guilty, Your Honor."

"Very well," He checked his calendar and said, "A hearing is set for two weeks from today. Is that satisfactory to both counsels?"

"The prosecution concurs," Burger said.

"Defense concurs," Mason added.

"The next case is Bradley versus Ironside and Mason. Is the plaintiff in the room?"

A silver-haired man in his seventies stood up. Mason recognized him immediately. He had been a lawyer in the County of Los Angeles for as long as Mason could remember.

"Yes, Your Honor. I am David Bryant, counsel for the plaintiff." Bryant came forward with Jill Bradley. They took seats at the table that Hamilton Burger had just vacated.

"I have before me a petition for temporary custody of Amy Bradley. Mister Bryant?"

"Your honor, Lawrence Bradley is accused of murdering his wife, Karen. Jill Bradley is the closest relative to young Amy. We are asking the court to award her temporary custody until the conclusion of the murder trial. She is the girl's aunt, the sister of Lawrence Bradley. We request that she be granted custody in the best interest of the child, and that Miss Bradley be given temporary control of the trust fund left to the child by her grandfather."

Judge Coleson looked over at Mason. "Mister Mason, obviously you have a different opinion of where the child should be placed until her father's guilt or innocence is decided.

Della Street got up and left the courtroom as Mason addressed the judge. "Your honor, we do not consider Miss Bradley to be in the best interests of Amy. We request that the court grant temporary custody of Amy to Chief Ironside. I have here a notarized document signed by Lawrence Bradley requesting that his daughter be placed in the custody of Chief Ironside until his innocence is established."

"Mister Mason, this is highly unusual. The child does have a relative here in the city of Los Angeles. I see no reason why temporary custody should not be awarded to Jill Bradley. However, I will listen to arguments in favor of granting custody to Chief Ironside."

"I will let Chief Ironside speak for himself," Perry said.

Robert Ironside wheeled forward. "Your Honor, the defendant wanted to help his daughter, which is understandable. Unfortunately, she is not been helped in the way she needs to be. Amy needs to learn to accept her disability, and be taught how to live a full and productive life despite that disability. The short time she would spend with me would be extremely beneficial for her. There is much I can teach her. I have been in this wheelchair for many years, and as you know it has not stopped me from being a police detective.

Although Amy may never choose to be a police detective, there are so many things that she can do from that chair. She needs to learn and to be helped to understand that a disability is only that. I believe I can help her, where as Miss Bradley has no idea what it is like to be in a wheelchair. She cannot help Amy in the way that I can. Mister Mason is confident that he will be able to exonerate Lawrence Bradley. So for the time that he is incarcerated, I believe it to be in her best interest to stay with me."

"Your Honor, as noble is it is for Chief Ironside to offer this help to Amy, we believe the child belongs with a loving relative. Jill Bradley is not a stranger to Amy as Chief Ironside is. She has known her all her life and knows what the child needs. Chief Ironside will more than likely be investigating for Mister Mason. Exactly, how much time could he spend with her. She certainly cannot be left alone while he is out trying to clear her father," David Bryant argued.

The doors to the courtroom opened and Amy was led into the room by William and Minerva Mason. Della Street came in with them and returned to her seat beside Lawrence Bradley.

Jill Bradley feverishly started whispering to her attorney. It was quite obvious that she was upset with the appearance of the child.

Bryant turned his attention back to the bench and said, "Your Honor, we must question Chief Ironside's judgement in bringing Amy Bradley into this courtroom."

"I think Amy should have some say as to where she stays" Perry said.

"That is not up to you, Mason," Jill Bradley shouted at the attorney.

Judge Coleson banged his gavel on the bench. "All comments will be directed to the bench. Mister Mason, is Chief Ironside going to help you with the investigation?"

"He is, Your Honor," Perry responded honestly. However, my brother is staying with our father here in Los Angeles. When Chief Ironside is investigating, Amy will be with our mother and father and well taken care of."

Attorney David Bryant spoke up immediately. "It is obvious that Chief Ironside has not been honest with this court. He doesn't intend to help Amy at all. He intends to help Mister Mason."

"He does indeed intend on helping her," Mason said.

Amy listen to the argument over her. She did not understand why her Aunt Jill could force her to stay with her. She was not going to stay with her. Bravely, she spoke up, "Your highness, may I speak?" People in the courtroom chuckled over the name the little girl called the judge.

Judge Coleson smiled. "That is Your Honor, Amy, and yes you may speak."

"My daddy always meant well when he tried to get me out of this chair, but all I ever wanted him to do was teach me what I could do in this chair. The best think he has done for me is bring Chief Ironside here. He has already made me believe that I can do many things from this chair. I know everyone is trying to help me, but I feel Chief Ironside is the best one to do that. He knows what I can do and he can show me how. My Aunt Jill cannot."

"But wouldn't you be more comfortable with your aunt? She has known you all your life," Coleson asked her.

"No, I would not be comfortable with her at all. Chief Ironside is a very kind man."

Perry cleared his throat which brought on a disapproving look from his older brother, and a smile from Judge Coleson.

"Ironside has influenced her and turned her against me," Jill Bradley blurted out is she shot out of her seat.

"Miss Bradley, I suggest very highly that you allow your attorney to do your talking. I will not tolerate such outbursts in my courtroom." The judge gave her a very stern look.

David Bryant took her by the arm and forced her to sit down. "Your Honor, we are very concerned that Amy has been influenced into this decision by Chief Ironside and Perry Mason. We still insist that the girl would be far better off with her aunt. She knows her and she is perfectly capable of helping her. She loves her niece and wants to see to it that she is well taken care of."

"She doesn't love me," Amy shouted. "She just wants the money that my grandpa left me. She has been trying to get my Mommy to get Daddy to give it to her. She doesn't care about me, she is always mean to me. She treats my daddy terrible. I won't stay with her, I won't!"

Coleson lowered his eyebrows. "Exactly what has she done that you think she has been mean to you?"

"When Mommy has left me with her, she has locked me in the bedroom. I have heard the car drive away. Then when I hear it come back, she lets me out of the bedroom. She is always yelling at me and telling me I am useless because I am in this chair."

"That is not true! Ironside put that thought in her head!" Jill Bradley shouted.

"Miss Bradley, if you interrupt these proceedings one more time, I will hold you in contempt of court."

Judge Coleson doubted that neither Ironside or Mason had done anything to influence Amy. The child seemed terrified of her aunt. He wasn't about to put her into a situation he was unsure of. He had no doubt that Robert Ironside would take good care of her. With his outstanding reputation and the fact that he himself was in a wheelchair, Amy would indeed benefit from his knowledge. He did not care that Ironside was not related to her. He had not been impressed with Jill Bradley and suspected that the money grant was the reason she wanted custody of the child.

He looked down at the little girl in the wheelchair and said, "Will you be comfortable with Mister and Mrs. Mason when Chief Ironside is not there?"

"Oh yes! Mister Mason tells me stories. And Mrs. Mason helps me when I need it."

"Miss Bradley, I believe it is in the best interest of Amy to stay with Chief Ironside while the trial is going on. Her father has already indicated that is what he wants. Certainly, due to Chief Ironside's disability, he will be able to help Amy to begin to adjust to life in a wheelchair. I have read all of the doctor's reports and it appears that there is no surgery at this time that will reverse her condition. And then there is the fact that she seems to be terrified of you, Miss Bradley. Therefore, at the present time, I believe that in the best interests of the child, I am going to award temporary custody to Robert Ironside. If Lawrence Bradley is convicted of murder, then permanent arrangements for Amy will have to be made. Since she is comfortable where she is, and can be helped by Chief Ironside, I believe she should stay there for the time being. That is the order of the Court."

"Your Honor, since Chief Ironside is not a family member, we do request that Miss Bradley be appointed in charge of her grandfather's grant. We do not believe it should be in the hands of total strangers."

"Now, that is the other thing that bothers me," Judge Coleson said. "You seem rather insistent that you control the money that was granted to Amy."

"We simply do not want it in the hands of total strangers. We have no way of knowing whether they can be trusted, Bryant said.

"These two men have outstanding reputations for honesty and integrity," Judge Coleson argued.

"Your Honor," said Perry Mason, "if it will ease the concerns of Miss Bradley, neither Chief Ironside or I need to be in charge of her money. I would suggest that the court retain control the grant until such time as Lawrence Bradley is exonerated of this charge."

Jill Bradley was livid. Ironside and Mason were going to succeed in stopping her from controlling Amy's money.

"I would say that should remove all concerns regarding Amy's money," the judge said.

"Quite the opposite, Your Honor. There will be expenses in taking care of Amy. We are concerned about her well-being and there would be no money to take care of her day-to-day expenses," Bryant complained.

"Chief Ironside and I will take care of her day-to-day expenses. We do not need the help of her grant money, nor will we be turning in any bill for her care. That should remove any concerns regarding her money," Mason said.

"The court will take complete charge of Amy's grant until her father's trial is over. That is the decision of the Court. This hearing is over."

David Bryant led his client past Mason's table. She stopped and gave a hateful look toward the lawyer. When she attempted to say something to Mason, Bryant pushed her past him.

"I don't know how to thank you, Mister Mason. I could not imagine my daughter in the hands of that woman. Yes, I know she is my sister, but the reason we don't get along is that she is selfish and only cares about herself. She doesn't care about Amy, she only cared about getting her hands on Amy's grant money. You have stopped her from doing that and I can't tell you how much that means to me."

The bailiff came forward to take Lawrence Bradley back to his cell. Bradley looked at his daughter and said, "You be a good girl and you mind Chief Ironside." He bent down and hugged his daughter, kissed her on the cheek and then left with the bailiff.

"You would think she would have attempted to hide her temper," Della said.

"She was so hell-bent on getting that money that she lost control of it. Judge Coleson saw right through it," Perry responded.

As the lawyer collected his paperwork and placed it back into his briefcase, Ironside wheeled over to Amy. "Lesson number one, always wheel your chair yourself whenever possible."

Amy gave him a great big smile. "But I have seen Mark Sanger wheel you around all the time."

"Let's see you get out of that one, Bob," Mason said with a grin on his face.

"Mark is my aide. That was part of his job in the beginning until I realized I should do it myself. Although, he still does it on occasion, I wheel myself most of the time. And so shall you," he said lowering his eyebrows and nodding once at her.

Amy squealed with delight. "As my Daddy would say, a likely excuse!"

Perry and Della laughed heartily along with William and Minerva. Amy had not let Bob get away with anything.

"If you are all sufficiently amused, I think it is time we get out of here and get to work" Ironside said, as he turned around and wheeled his chair toward the doors of the courtroom.

Perry caught Amy's eye and winked at her. She smiled back at him, turned her chair toward the door and wheeled after the chief.

*

Jill Bradley turned on her lawyer. "You were supposed to see to it that I got control of Amy's money. That cripple now has Amy."

"You did not help the situation at all, Miss Bradley. The judge picked up on the fact that you were insistent on controlling the money. Instead of showing compassion and convincing the judge that you were the best thing for Amy, you acted like the only thing that was important to you was the money."

"Of course, Amy is important!"

"Well, you certainly didn't act like it."

"How dare you!? I hired you to see to it that Amy stayed with me, instead she is with a complete stranger. You allowed Perry Mason to influence the judge into letting Ironside have custody of Amy."

"I didn't allow anything. With your behavior, the judge decided that Amy was better off with Ironside. Quite frankly, despite the fact that I lost that round, I am beginning to believe he is correct."

"In that case maybe I should find myself a new lawyer."

"I think that would be a good idea. I have no intentions of representing you any further." David Bryant turned and walked away from her without a backward glance.

As she watched him leave, she had to consider what her next move was. She hated her brother and she had to make sure that he paid for killing Karen. It didn't matter to her whether he did it or not, as long as he was convicted of it. Then the courts would have no choice but to award her custody of Amy and she would have control of her money. There would be no more seeking out experimental procedures for her to walk again. The kid was a cripple and would remain that way for the rest of her life. As it was, she would be forced to take care of her. Maybe some time with Ironside wouldn't hurt her after all. One thing for sure was she was going to have to do most things for herself because Jill had no intentions of babying the cripple.

She had to decide what to do next. Maybe a talk with the district attorney was in order.


	13. Chapter 13

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 13

When the Masons, Chief Ironside and Amy arrived at the Mason's home, Perry helped both his brother and Amy out of the vehicle.

Once inside the house, Minerva Mason headed directly for the kitchen to fix her family some lunch. The men sat down in the living room. Amy immediately wheeled over to Chief Ironside and settled beside him. She reached over and put her hand in his.

Perry and Della exchanged a smile when they saw the little girl display affection to the gruff detective. When it came to kids, the gruffness seemed to disappear completely.

"I don't think we have heard the end of Jill Bradley," Ironside told his brother.

"I don't think so either," Perry agreed. "I would not put it past her to lie to the district attorney.

"You don't think that Hamilton will see through it?" Della asked Perry.

"Not when he thinks he has a case he can win. She will convince him that Lawrence Bradley was definitely capable of killing his wife. I doubt that she will paint a very flattering picture of him. It doesn't really matter, she will not be the District Attorney's most damaging witness."

"I will be," Ironside said.

"Unfortunately, that is correct, Bob. The only thing I can do is try to minimize the damage. Which means, I will have to try to discredit you on the stand," Mason said.

William Mason did not like the idea of his two sons arguing in court. "Isn't there any way around this? I don't like you trying to make Robert look bad on the stand."

"There isn't as far as I can see," Perry told his father. "Bob is a professional. He knows that my first obligation is to my client. I cannot take anyone else into consideration when protecting a client. I am afraid that includes my brother."

"Perry, I don't like this," William Mason said, shaking his head.

"It's alright. He did it before when my son was on trial. I understand. As good as he is, the unfortunate truth is he will not be able to shake me and he knows it. I did not take it personally last time and I will not this time."

Minerva Mason walked into the living room. "Lunch is on the table," she announced.

All of them started heading toward the kitchen. Della stepped behind Amy's chair and began wheeling her when Ironside called out, "Della, let her wheel herself."

Della looked over at Perry and smiled. She let go of Amy's chair and the little girl took over.

Two places at the table contained no chairs. They were side-by-side. Ironside allowed Amy to select which place she wanted to be at, and then maneuvered his chair to the place setting next to her.

On the table were a variety of sandwiches. A bowl of potato chips sat in the middle of the table. William Mason picked up the platter of sandwiches, chose one and passed it to his right. Minerva set a pitcher of lemonade at each end of the table. After everyone help themselves to the sandwiches and potato chips, they began eating.

"Bob, we have to do something about Jill Bradley. Every time I think of her the hair on the back of my neck stands up. Something simply isn't right there."

"I have Ed and Eve checking into that for us. As police officers, it will be easier for them then it will be for Paul. They should be reporting back to us shortly. If there is anything there, they will find it. Where is Drake?" Ironside asked his brother.

Della could not help but smile. She answered for the attorney. "He is checking to find out if anyone in Karen Bradley's company has a middle name of Jay."

"Well it is about time," Ironside said in his signature gruff tone. "I hope he is checking to see if the Renali woman recognizes if the man in the picture was the one that was with her."

Perry just shook his head. Bob knew that Paul was an excellent detective. He got the feeling Paul was his target because none of his staff was here.

When dinner was over, Minerva went about clearing the table. When she reached for Amy's plate, Ironside stopped her. "No, she needs to learn to do things for herself." Ironside removed his own plate and glass from the table. Placing them in his lap, he nodded to Amy.

Amy picked up her dishes and placed them in her lap as Ironside had done. As she tried to wheel backwards, the glass started to tumble over. She stopped and grabbed the glass. "How do you stop the glass from falling?" she asked the detective.

"You must learn to balance what you place in your lap so that you can wheel your chair, Amy. Take it slowly until you learn to balance whatever you are carrying." Ironside wheeled to her until his chair was sitting directly beside hers. "Now stay beside me. Don't try to go faster than I do."

Everyone watched as Ironside slowly moved his chair towards the kitchen. A couple of times the glass threaten to fall, but Amy stopped and allowed it to right itself without touching it. When they arrived at the sink, Amy attempted to put the dishes in it, but Ironside stopped her.

"Don't expect other people to take care of your dirty dishes, put them in the dishwasher," he commanded.

"But how? How am I supposed to open the door? My chair is in the way," she said, a bit upset.

"Amy, you must learn to move the chair out of the way and maneuver it in such a way that you still can do what you need to do. Now, I want you to pull your chair to the side of the dishwasher."

"Alright," she said as she agreed to try. Ironside moved his chair out of her way, and she wheeled as close to the side of the dishwasher as she could get.

When Ironside felt she was close enough, he told her, "Now, open the door."

Amy struggled with the dishwasher door, and in frustration, said, I can't!"

"Yes, you can, try again," he told her.

Not wanting to disappoint Chief Ironside, she stretched with one hand while holding the dishes in her lap with the other. Finally she was able to open the door. She pulled out the bottom rack and placed her dishes inside. Ironside handed her his dishes, and watched as she placed them in the dishwasher as well.

"Now close it," he told her.

Amy reach down, took hold of the door and shut it. She backed up and a great big grin spread across her face. She reached for Robert Ironside, who pulled the child into his lap and hugged her. "I did it!" She kissed Ironside's cheek.

Della and Perry stood in the doorway watching the tender scene between Robert and Amy.

"The judge made the right decision," Della said as she put her arm around Perry's waist.

William and Minerva were also watching behind Perry and Della. "He has your gentleness, Perry. It just takes a child to bring it out in him," his mother said.

"My gentleness?" Perry questioned. "Mother, are we talking about the same man?"

William Mason laughed at his younger son. "You have to admit, Robert has already had a positive effect on the girl."

Della smiled. "He has at that."

*

Paul Drake was still reeling a bit by Ironside's remarks. He had been working for Perry now for years. Although Perry always let him know what he wanted, Paul quite often anticipated him. Why had he not done that in the case of checking on people with the middle name of Jay?

It wasn't so much that he was embarrassed, he really wasn't. He just didn't like looking inferior to Ironside in front of Perry. Yet he knew Perry did not feel that way. Paul would never say anything, he would just take orders from Ironside. He would defer to him out of respect for both him and Perry. He simply would have to be more alert and on his toes when he was around the San Francisco detective.

He pulled his sports car up in front of the firm Selmer and Sons. He got out of his vehicle and went directly to the door. Looking through its glass windows, he wanted to ascertain the location of the employee he had spoken to before. He needed to avoid her as she knew who he was now. Not seeing her anywhere in the lobby of the office, Paul opened the door and went in. He walked over to the nearest employee and said, "Can I see a directory of the employees please."

"Who are you looking for, sir?"

"Well, I'm not sure. I know the man's name is Jay, but I believe it is his middle name. I should have paid more attention when I listened to the voice message. Unfortunately, I don't know his first name. He was going to help me with a business matter," Paul made up on the spot.

The secretary pulled out a folder. Drake could tell that it listed every employee in the company. He attempted to read upside down, but the printing was too small for his sight to see. He waited for her to look through the list. It only took her a moment before she turned back to him.

"Just as I thought, we have no one in the company with the first name of Jay. However, we do have one employee whose middle name is Jay."

Drake smiled at her and said, "Well, that must be him. "What is his name?"

"Christopher Jay Carter. Mister Carter is not in at the moment, would you like me to leave him a message?"

Again Paul smiled at the secretary. "Thanks, but I would like to speak with him in person. I will contact him later, but I really appreciate your help."

The secretary returned his smile and said, "Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

"You have already done plenty, thank you for your help." Drake turned around and left the office. One task down and one more to go to keep Ironside happy. He was on his way to visit Helen Renali.

*

Ed Brown studied the report in front of him. He was able to get Jill Bradley's bank records. Nothing in those records showed anything unusual. Miss Bradley was not living beyond her means. She owned her own home and had a modest mortgage payment. All other expenses coming out of her account were simply household expenses and dining out occasionally. The only thing unusual was payments to motels on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Ed figured that was something that his boss would be interested in.

On the other side of the office, Eve Whitfield was looking into the records of all of the associates of the company in which Jill Bradley worked. As far as she could see, the people that she had already checked had nothing that would raise an eyebrow. She wondered what the chief was looking for. He had not really said what they should be looking at. She had gone through five employees so far and none of them had anything out of the ordinary. It was late in the afternoon and Eve was tired, anxious to go home and relax for the evening. She looked over at the man who would control what time she left the office. Ed had not said anything in quite some time as he was busy looking at Jill Bradley's records.

The sergeant finally stood up and stretched. "Have you come up with anything, Eve?"

She shook her head and said, "Absolutely nothing. These people just appear to be everyday normal people. What exactly is the chief looking for?"

"Anything out of the ordinary. That is about all I can tell you. The chief didn't say anything other than that."

"Well, if you are done with Jill Bradley, how about taking a part of this list?"

Ed nodded and put out his hand. Eve gave him several sheets of paper.

*

Perry and Robert left their parents house, leaving Amy with William and Minerva. After helping his brother into his car, Mason slipped behind the wheel and started the vehicle. Pulling away from the curb, he said, "Since you have Ed and Eve working on Jill Bradley, what do you say we do some checking into Karen Bradley, ourselves?"

"Just exactly what I was going to suggest," Ironside said.

Perry turned the corner and headed in the direction of Karen and Lawrence Bradley's house. When they pulled up in front of it, Ironside asked, "You did get permission to go into the house?"

"I not only got permission, I got the key from Bradley. The police are done in the house. Relax, Bob, I am not going to get you into any trouble."

Mason got out of the car and removed Ironside's chair from the trunk. After helping him into it, he pushed the detective up to the door. Mason unlocked the door and the brothers entered the house.

"Let's see the room where the murder took place," Ironside said.

Mason headed in the direction of the study. Ironside placed his hands on both sides of the door frame and pulled himself into the room. He looked around before moving any further. The study was not very big. Ironside looked up to the shelves that held the books that Bradley had been reading. There were ten books on the shelf.

"Perry, come here" Ironside commanded his brother.

Mason turned around and joined his brother at the shelf containing the books. "What is it, Bob, did you find something?"

"You tell me," Ironside said as he pointed to the books.

Perry looked up at the shelf and immediately saw what his brother had discovered. "They are all in alphabetical order according to their titles except one."

"Somehow, I don't think that Lawrence Bradley filed that book in the middle. Pull it down, but don't put any fingerprints on it," Ironside said.

Perry could not help but smile. As if he really needed to be told that. However, he would allow his brother to remind him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He removed the offending book, which was in the middle of the others. He handed it to Ironside.

Carefully, using the handkerchief, the chief opened the book. He leafed through it, but did not find anything of interest. There was nothing written on the inside or back side covers. Why was the book out of order? Ironside could not believe that Lawrence Bradley would file all of the other books in alphabetical order, but just carelessly put this book on the shelf. It must mean something, but what?

He handed the book back to his brother. "Why would he file this book in the middle?"

"Maybe we should ask him," Mason suggested.

"I would think that would be obvious," Ironside growled. "Take down the title of that book and the author's name."

Again, Perry did not need to be told as he was already doing so. "I have it," he told his brother. Mason looked at the paper and read what he had written, 'Spinal Cord Injuries and Miracle Cures.' The book was written by Doctor Jay Morganstein.

"I suppose you noticed the name of the author?" Ironside asked.

"Even an amateur detective would have spotted that, Bob. Since the book is still here, I am betting Tragg has not discovered anything about Karen Bradley's mysterious Jay."

Ironside turned his chair towards his brother. "You better hope he doesn't or... "

"Or the prosecution will have another motive for murder," Mason finished for him.

"Let's take a look at the security system," Ironside suggested. Mason nodded and followed his brother to the room where the system was located.

The detective looked up at the system that was above his head as Mason took a close look. "Simple system. It is hooked up to a computer which records different parts of the house including the study," Mason told him.

"Can the rooms be turned off separately?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, apparently they can. Each room is marked," Perry said.

"Then if someone knew the house and the system, they could have turned the particular rooms off." Ironside studied the alarm system.

"They could have turned off the system to any room they were in, but if that was the case, then they purposely recorded killing Karen Lawrence in order to frame Lawrence Bradley."

"Exactly, which means it was someone who not only knew there was an alarm system in the house, but also knew where to locate cuff links with Lawrence Bradley's initials on them," Ironside pointed out.

"We need to talk to Larry and find out who would have been privy to that information," Perry said.

"I agree. There is not much more we can do here," Ironside said. Do you have that picture of Jay that Paul found in Karen Bradley's office?"

"Yes, Paul emailed the picture to me," Mason responded.

"Then let's go next door and see if Mrs. Renali recognizes him as the man she saw with Karen Bradley." Ironside headed for the front door. Mason followed him.

Once they got out of the house, Perry stepped behind his brother's chair and began pushing him down the sidewalk to the house next door. Just as they were about to ring the doorbell, Paul Drake pulled up in front in his sports car. He exited the vehicle and walked swiftly up to join them.

"Hello, Paul," Mason greeted his private eye.

"Hi Perry." He looked over at Ironside and repeated the greeting to him. Ironside said hello, and Paul continued. "There is one man in the office with the middle name of Jay. His name is Christopher Jay Carter."

"The same man that is in the photo from Karen Bradley's office?" Ironside asked.

"No, I am afraid not." He reached into his suit coat pocket and handed a picture to Perry of a man in his thirties with blonde hair, blue eyes. He was supporting a mustache and a goatee.

"Well, let's find out if either of these men was the one Helen Renali saw with Karen," Perry said as he rang the doorbell.

Within only a moment, the door opened and Helen Renali appeared. When she saw Perry Mason, a big smile spread across her face. "Why, Mister Mason, you are back! Come in." She stepped back and opened the door wide to give the man in the wheelchair access into the house.

As she had done before, she led them into the living room. "Can I get you some tea?"

Perry sensed that Bob was about to turn it down. Mason quickly spoke up to prevent him from answering. "We would all love some tea."

Mrs. Renali immediately left them and headed into the kitchen. When she was out of earshot, Ironside grumbled, "I prefer coffee."

"She takes pride in her tea, Bob. I think it would be beneficial for us to accept the tea," Mason explained.

Mrs. Renali returned with a tray full of tea cups and a pot of tea. She put the tray on the coffee table and began serving Mason, Ironside and Drake. When everyone had a cup of tea in their hands, she sat down. "I didn't expect to see you so soon." She stared at the man in the wheelchair and said, "You are Robert Ironside, that San Francisco detective."

"I am," Ironside confirmed.

She studied Paul Drake and remarked, "I don't know who this gentleman is."

"Mrs. Renali, this is Paul Drake. He is a private detective," Mason told her.

"Well, isn't that fabulous, a famous lawyer and policeman and a private detective. I have met lawyers and police detectives before, but I have never met a real live private detective."

"Mister Drake has some pictures that we would like you to look at. We would like to know if either of these men is the man that was having an affair with Karen Bradley."

"Now, just a minute, Mister Mason, I did not tell you they were having an affair. I don't want to start any rumors. I only said they were hugging and kissing."

Mason smiled. "Alright, we would like to know if either of these men was the man she was hugging and kissing," Perry conceded.

Paul pulled two pictures out of his pocket. He handed her the first one, the picture of Christopher Jay Carter from Karen Bradley's company. She studied it for a moment and said, "No, this man doesn't look anything like the man that I saw."

Drake handed her the picture of the man he found in Karen's desk. "Is that the man you saw?"

She shook her head. "I am sorry, but neither of these men are the one that I saw her with on several occasions."

"Are you certain?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, I am certain, Chief Ironside," Mrs. Renali confirmed.

Mason drank the last of his tea. He noticed that Bob had barely touched his. "Thank you for your help. And as last time, your tea is superb."

She grinned at him. "I am so glad that you enjoyed it."

Ironside wheeled his chair towards the door. Paul and Perry followed him out. When they got outside, Paul decided to ask them a question that was concerning him.

"Why are you pursuing this angle? It only gives Burger another motive."

"I don't like any surprises in court, Paul. Besides, if Karan was having an affair, her lover could be the killer. We have to find him to eliminate him as a suspect," Mason answered.

"Alright, I will keep checking on who the man in the photo is," Drake said.

"It does tell us something," Mason said.

"What?" Paul wondered.

"If the man in the photo was not the one Mrs. Renali saw, then it is possible that she was having an affair with more than one man, or the Jay in the photo was her last lover," Ironside said.

"So we keep digging," Drake said.

"We keep digging," Mason confirmed. They got into their respective vehicles and headed out.

*

Perry dropped Bob off at his parents house. "Tell Mother, I have to get home to Della. I'll talk to you in the morning." Mason left Ironside at his parent's doorstep, got into his vehicle and drove away.

He headed for his office in the Brent Building. He parked his car, entered the building and rode the elevator up to the eight floor where his office was located. Going in by his private entrance, he looked around for Della. She came through the door from her office.

"How did it go today?" Della asked.

"More questions, no answers," he replied. Mason sat down in the chair behind his desk, rested his elbows on it and rubbed his temples.

Della Street walked around the desk behind him and began massaging his shoulders to help relieve some of the tension. Mason quickly gave into the magic in her fingers. "That feels good."

"Perry, it is getting late. Why don't we close up shop and go to your apartment. You need rest." Della could always tell just how tired he was if he gave up without a fight.

"Alright," he said. He reached up took Della's hand in his and stood up. Smiling down at her, he inquired, "Would you like some dinner first?"

"Why don't we just pick up some Chinese food on the way home?" Della suggested.

"That's fine with me." He took her by the elbow and led her to the door into her office. Opening it, he let her walk in and followed her. Mason locked the door and the two of them left his law office.

Mason and Street rode the elevator down to the lobby and entered the garage. Once inside the vehicle, Mason started up the Cadillac and drove to the nearest Chinese restaurant. They picked up some take-out and then headed to Perry's apartment.

Arriving at his apartment door, he unlocked it, opened it and turned off the house alarm. They headed into the kitchen. Della got out two plates and silverware while Perry poured them two glasses of wine. They ate in relative silence. After finishing their Chinese food, Della placed the dishes in the sink. When she turned around, Perry took her into his arms.

Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed her lightly before deepening the kiss. As his breathing became heavy, Della pushed him back by placing her hand on his chest, using slight pressure. Perry gave her a questioning look. She smiled at him, took his hand and led him out of the kitchen.

Della guided him to the bedroom. When they arrived inside, she put her hands around his neck and teased him by nibbling on his lips. Perry did not need any further encouragement. He gently guided Della backwards until they reached the bed. Perry pushed her back on the bed, lowered his body down to her and kissed her with pent-up passion.


	14. Chapter 14

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 14

Jill Bradley drove her car towards the building which housed Hamilton Burger's office. She was still furious at Robert Ironside and Perry Mason. They had interfered with her plans. So it was time that she interfere with theirs.

In order to get control of Amy Bradley's trust fund, she had to have control and custody of Amy. Not that she really wanted her, but it was the only way to get the money. She had been successful in convincing her sister-in-law to divorce her brother. She and her brother had never gotten along. Basically, he was an idealistic idiot that didn't realize what all that money could do.

Larry's daughter was obviously completely useless. She would be in that chair for the rest of her life, and would be a burden for anyone who had to take care of her. After her brother was convicted of his wife's murder, Jill intended on having the kid put in some kind of home that would take care of her. She certainly was not about to do it. The very sight of the kid made her run and scream.

Karen head agreed with her that they needed to get control of the money. With Karen now gone, she had been certain that the courts would award custody of the kid to her. She would have only needed to keep the kid in her possession until Larry was convicted. But now she had to make sure he was convicted of the murder whether he did it or not. It was the only way for her to gain custody of Amy and get the money that had been left to her by Jill's father.

Why couldn't her father have been like any other? Most fathers left their money to their children not their grandchildren. What was it with this kid that had made him give all of his money to her well-being. She was obviously useless and would live her life is a useless human being. The more she thought about it, the more it infuriated her.

Now Mason and Ironside would pay for their interference. She would make sure of that when she spoke with Hamilton Burger. She would tell him all about the relationship between her brother and his wife. When she got done, there was no doubt that Burger would have her testify to what she would tell him.

She pulled in front of the office building and parked the car. Jill Bradley got out of the vehicle, slammed the car door in total frustration. She didn't know how long a trial would take, but she would wait it out until the conviction. Then the money would be hers.

She walked up the steps and opened the door. As soon as she entered, she stopped the first person she saw and asked, "Where can I find Hamilton Burger's office?"

The woman pointed behind her. "It's the last door on your right. I don't know whether Mister Burger is in his office or not. You will have to check."

Without as much as a smile or a thank you, Jill Bradley headed down the hall towards the District Attorney's office. When she arrived at the door, she opened it and stepped inside. To her left was a woman working at a desk, typing on a computer keyboard.

Jill looked at her and demanded, "I want to see Hamilton Burger."

The secretary checked her calendar and turned to the woman who had just entered the office. "I am sorry but Mister Burger doesn't see anybody without an appointment."

"He'll see me" Jill said. "You just tell him that Jill Bradley is here to see him with information regarding Lawrence Bradley."

The secretary recognized the name immediately. She got up and left her desk. She walked over to Hamilton's office and knocked on the door. Burger's voice could be heard telling her to come in. She disappeared into his office for a couple of minutes before the door opened and Hamilton Burger walked out.

"Miss Bradley, won't you come in?" he said to her.

Jill Bradley followed him into his office, and he offered her a seat in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you, Miss Bradley?" Hamilton asked her.

"The question is not what you can do for me, but what I can do for you," she said smugly.

"We have already spoken and you gave me a statement. Do you have something to add to that?"

"You see, I did not tell you everything. I was trying to protect my brother. However, my conscience will not allow me to do so. I believe he killed Karen and I cannot let him get away with it."

Burger was fully aware of the custody hearing in court. He knew that Robert Ironside had been given temporary custody of Amy Bradley. He was well aware that Jill Bradley attempted to get custody, and when that fell through, tried to get control of the trust fund that Amy's grandfather had left her. He was very wary of what she might tell him. He wanted this conviction badly, but he did not want to use testimony that was based on revenge.

"What do you want to tell me?"

Jill could read the distrust on his face. He had his nerve since she was here to help him. Her testimony could put the nail in Larry's coffin. She did not appreciate his distrustful attitude.

"Do you want my help or not, Mister Burger? I really don't appreciate your attitude," she snapped at him.

Hamilton remained calm. If she had something that would help his case, he did not want to upset her, but if she was here for revenge against Mason and Ironside, he wanted no part of it. If she was not telling him the truth, there was no doubt Perry and Robert would discover it. He did not want to be blindsided in court. Yet, Bradley's sister testifying against him could be a powerful weapon on the stand.

"I am sorry if you think I have an attitude, Miss Bradley, but you must understand that I can't help but be suspicious when you show up to help me after losing the temporary custody hearing to Robert Ironside, as well as not being named to control Amy Bradley's trust fund."

Jill decided she should tone it down a bit. She smiled at Burger. "I guess I can't blame you for that, Mister Burger. I assure you one has nothing to do with the other. You must remember Ironside only has temporary custody of Amy. Ultimately, when Larry is convicted of killing Karen, I will be awarded custody of Amy, since I am her only living relative. There is no reason for me to seek revenge. Ironside will have to turn her over to me eventually. What will the hearing and trial last, a few weeks, no longer than a month."

Burger eyed her with concern. She was actually correct. Maybe he was worrying for nothing. Amy would indeed have to go to her eventually after he got the conviction on Lawrence Bradley.

"Alright, Miss Bradley, I apologize. What is it that you can tell me?"

"Karen was going to divorce Larry. She told me so. She intended on asking for full custody of her with no visitation rights to him. She was going to claim that he was obsessed with getting her out of the wheelchair, and that it clouded his judgment. She claimed that it put Amy through undue stress and hurt her psychologically."

Burger sat forward in his chair. "Is there anything to substantiate that?"

"Yes, there is." Jill reached into her purse and pulled out a paper. "If you consult a handwriting expert, you will find that is in Karen's handwriting." She handed the paper to the district attorney.

Hamilton looked over the paper. It was in a woman's handwriting. There was a list of divorce attorneys in the city of Los Angeles. Below that was a list of things that Karen intended to ask of the attorney. Basically it was what Jill Bradley had told him. "Miss Bradley, this will only help us if Lawrence Bradley knew his wife was going to divorce him and demand full custody of Amy."

She smiled and said, "Turn it over, Mister Burger."

Burger turned the paper over and saw, in the same handwriting, 'Tell Larry I want a divorce.' Beside it was the word, 'Done.' Burger had been wrong about Jill Bradley. She did indeed have information that would help his case.

"Miss Bradley, I will be calling you to the witness stand to testify about this."

"That is fine with me. One last thing, Larry threatened Karen when she told him about the divorce. She told me that he said she would never live to see the day that she would take Amy away from him."

"She told you that?" Burger asked.

"She most certainly did," Jill said.

"Thank you for coming in, Miss Bradley."

"Oh, I almost forgot. I may not be willing to help my brother get away with murder and I fully admit that we don't get along very well, but I still love him and would like to see him."

"That can be arranged. I will leave word for you to see him, but I caution you, you are not to discuss this case with him. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly, and thank you, Mister Burger. Jill Bradley got up and left his office. As she turned her back, a big grin spread across her face. That should teach Mason and Ironside not to mess with her.

She could have done nothing and the end result would be that the custody of Amy would be awarded to her in the end, however, she had to make that insufferable Ironside pay for his interference.

*

Ironside wheeled his chair into the holding room. Lawrence Bradley stood up from the table he had been sitting, waiting for the San Francisco detective. He waited for him to settle his wheelchair across from him and then sat back down.

"Mister Mason said that you wanted to talk to me," Bradley said.

"I do," Ironside responded. "We need for you to shed some light on a problem."

"I will if I can, so shoot."

"Mister Mason and I went over to your home and went into the study. You stated that you kept the books you were reading on a shelf, is that correct?"

"Yes, I usually have up to ten books that I am reading at the same time," Lawrence confirmed.

"Do you keep them in any particular order? Such as maybe the ones that you have been reading the longest at the front of the line?" Ironside asked.

"Well yes, I keep them in order but not like that. I never worry about when I get them finished so the order you are talking about is not important. I normally keep them in alphabetical order."

"Any chance you would accidently put one up there out of order?" Ironside questioned.

Bradley shook his head. "Not a chance. If you look at my book shelves, you would see all books are in alphabetical order."

"I looked and I did notice that. It is why I am asking you. One book was clearly out of order on that shelf."

There was a look of panic in Bradley's eyes. "Which one?"

" A book call Spinal Cord Injuries and Miracle Cures by Jay Morganstein," Ironside replied.

"Oh my God! Not that book!"

"What's important about that book?"

"Someone had to have removed it, Chief Ironside. Someone might have removed an envelope that was inside it. Please, did you find an envelope in between the pages of the book?"

"There was no envelope in the book," the chief answered.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"Calm down Mister Bradley and tell me what was in that envelope?"

"That is just it, I don't know, Chief. It was given to me by my father. He told me to hold it for Amy until she was eighteen years old. Neither she nor I was to open it until then."

"Why was it not put into a safe?" Ironside demanded.

"My wife had access to my safe. I did not want her to know that it existed. As it was, she was always trying to get her hands on Amy's trust fund. I don't know what my father had left in that envelope, but one thing is for sure, Karen would not have waited to find out." He lowered his head and rubbed his temples. "Now I will never know what was in it. Karen must have found it and removed it."

He looked up at Robert Ironside. "Is there any way to find out what was in it?"

"We damn well are going to try," the chief answered. "Now why was it in that particular book?"

"Karen hated the fact that I was always trying to get Amy out of that wheelchair. She bought that book many years ago when she was on board with helping Amy. When I found the book missing for quite some time, she admitted she took it and read it. After that, she wanted nothing to do with helping Amy out of the chair. She refused to tell me why she changed her mind. Anyway, she would not touch or go near that book so I thought it was the best place to put the envelope."

"When was the last time you took a book down from the shelf?" Ironside asked.

"The day before I took Amy to the Sierra Mountains," he responded.

Ironside turned his chair around and headed for the door. "We'll be in touch." He opened the door and pulled his wheel chair through it.

The guard, seeing through the window that Ironside had left, opened the door and motioned to Bradley and then led him out of the room.

*

Perry had been driving for twenty minutes. He had not said a word. Della glanced at him every few minutes. She did not want to interrupt his train of thought. Sooner or later he would engage her in conversation to help stimulate his thinking.

Mason pulled the car over to the side of the road. He turned off the engine and looked straight out the front window. He sat there silently for a moment and finally turned to look at Della.

"Something is really wrong here. I am positive that somebody set Lawrence Bradley up for the murder of his wife. That book that was out of order on the shelf was not put there by him. If you look at his bookshelves, all of the books are in alphabetical order. Not one other book was out of place."

"But why would somebody want to look at that book in the first place? From what you told me, it was a book on spinal injuries. It seems the only one interested in reversing Amy's problem was Lawrence Bradley. Why would someone bother with that book?"

"Somehow, Della, I believe that is one of the keys to this case. Bob was going to talk to Bradley and find out what significance that book could possibly have. When we get an answer to that, we might just have an idea of who and why Karen was murdered."

"You still will have to prove it, Perry."

"I am aware of that. The author's name on that book also bothers me."

"You mean Jay Morgenstein?" Della surmised.

"That is exactly what I mean. It bothers me that the first name of the author is the same name that was signed on that photo in Karen Bradley's office."

"Do you think it could be the same man?" Della asked him.

"I don't know, Della. Bob said the copyright date on the book was many years old. Medical procedures have changed drastically over the years. The book could be so far out-of-date that it could be useless for today's procedures."

"It might be worth checking out," Della suggested.

"We will check it out all right, but I don't think that is the major significance of that book."

"Then what do you think it means?"

"I think somebody was looking for something, and they knew exactly where to look," Mason said.

"But what would they have been looking for?" Della wondered.

"We will know more about that after Bob talks to Bradley. If there was something in that book, then someone knew where to look and removed it."

"What are we doing in the meantime until we are able to talk to Robert?"

"Ed Brown called after Bob left this morning. He said there was nothing of significance in Jill Bradley's accounts with one exception. She had many charges to motels on the outskirts of Los Angeles," Perry reported.

When Mason said nothing further, Della gave him a verbal nudge. "And?"

"And we are going to find out who she was having an affair with."

Della raised an eyebrow. "Perry, what possible connection could there be to Karen Bradley's murder. I doubt that she even knew who her sister-in-law was having an affair with. Even if she did, what difference would it make?"

Mason turned and looked directly at her and grinned. "That is what we are going to find out." He started the car, backed up and pulled back on the road. Heading out of town, they were on their way to the first motel destination.

It took them twenty-five minutes to arrive at the Roadside Motel. Della Street took one look at the building and remarked, "Talk about a fleabag motel."

As Perry opened the driver's door, he said, "Della, when you are having an affair, you go somewhere you won't be recognized. Who would recognize her in a place like this?"

"You never took me to motels like this," she said with a smile.

"That's because ours is not an affair. It is a relationship. I wouldn't let you near a place like this."

He got out of the car, went around to the other side and opened the passenger door. Taking Della's hand, he helped her out of the vehicle. Reaching for her elbow, he guided her to the main door of the motel.

Mason open the door and allowed Della to walk in ahead of him. He led her over to the front desk and rang the bell.

A balding, chubby man with heavy bushy eyebrows came out of the back room and looked at the couple. He stared at Della for a moment and then turned his attention to Perry Mason.

"I would think that you could find a better place to take a beautiful woman like that," he scolded.

Mason looked at Della and smiled. After returning his attention to the clerk, he corrected him, "I think you have the wrong idea about us. We are not here to check in. My name is Mason. I am a lawyer."

The clerk grinned. "I thought you looked familiar." Looking at Della, he said, "You must be Miss Street."

She smiled at him and confirmed, "That's right. I am Mister Mason's secretary."

"Well, what can I do for you folks?"

I am the defense attorney for Lawrence Bradley. His sister, Jill Bradley, stayed at this establishment. I was wondering if you could check your records and tell me who she checked in here with?"

The clerk cringed. "I don't know if I can do that. If I get caught, I could get fired. This might be a crummy job, but at least it's a job."

Mason reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He threw a fifty dollar bill down on the counter. "I was hoping you would see your way to help me."

The clerk looked at Mason and then down at the fifty-dollar bill. He raised an eyebrow.

Mason knew these types. The only way to get them to talk was with money. He always carried enough in his pocket to entice them. Places like this did not pay their clerks much, and the possibility they could make a few bucks extra by giving out information would not be stopped by a little thing like the privacy of the clients. Perry threw another fifty on the counter. That did the trick as the clerk smiled and pulled a ledger book out from under the counter.

"When did this couple stay here?" the clerk asked while opening the book.

"Two months ago. The charge to her account was on the eighteenth," Mason responded. "I am not sure when they arrived."

The chubby man leafed through the pages before settling on one. "Here it is. They registered as Mister and Mrs. Jason Thornsen. They came in on the fifteenth and checked out on the eighteenth." He turned the book around to show it to Mason.

"Are you sure this is the right couple," Della asked.

"Has to be," the clerk answered. "No one else checked out on the eighteenth. So all I had to do was see what day they checked in."

"You don't by any chance remember what they looked like do you?" Perry asked, not holding out much hope that he would remember one couple from two months ago.

"Come on, buddy, give me a break. It was two months ago."

Della pulled a picture out of her purse and handed it to the clerk. "Is this the woman?" Perry raised an eyebrow, wondering where his very efficient secretary got that picture.

The clerk studied the photo for a moment and then nodded his head. "I remember her. In fact I remember both of them." He looked up at Perry and Della without raising his head. "Like the two of you, they just didn't belong here. They were too well dressed. It is not typically the type of people we see in this dump." He handed the photo back to Della.

Perry had to hold back a smile. He was sure the man's employer would not appreciate his employee calling his motel a dump. "What did the man look like?"

The clerk rubbed his chin and looked down at the cash on the counter. Perry got the hint and threw another fifty-dollar bill in front of him. "Well, let's see now. Tall, but not as tall or as big as you. He had light hair. Not exactly a brown or a blonde, kind of in between. He had blue eyes and supported a slight scar on the bottom of his chin. That is about all I remember."

Mason smiled. "That is good enough. Thanks." He threw down an additional fifty on the counter.

"Gee thanks, Mister Mason. Anytime I can help you, you just let me know."

"I don't believe I caught your name," Perry said.

The man frowned. "Is that necessary?"

"Only if I have to call you to testify, which isn't likely," Perry said, making it sound like it would never happen.

"Okay then, my name is Wilbur Fleming."

Mason smiled and took Della's elbow. "Thanks again." He led her out of the motel. When they reached Perry's Cadillac, he opened the passenger door and guided Della into the seat. Once she was inside, he shut the door and went around to the driver's side.

Mason slipped into the seat and turned to look at Della. "Where did you get that picture of Jill Bradley?"

Della grinned. "I took it with my cellphone while we were in court and had the drugstore make a copy with those machines they have in there."

"Now just what possessed you to do that?" Perry asked, amused.

"I didn't like the way she behaved in court. I just could not shake the feeling it would come in handy."

Mason grinned. "Good girl! I can always depend on your female intuition."

"Your brother would not agree."

"Yes, he would. He just would never admit it to Eve, although I am sure she knows it anyway," Perry said, starting the engine of the vehicle. He backed the Cadillac up and left the first destination to head for the next.


	15. Chapter 15

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 15

Jill Bradley pulled her vehicle in the parking lot at police headquarters. She now had permission to see her brother. It was not something she was looking forward to. She really didn't give a damn about him, but she would have to pretend that she did if she was to be successful and what she wanted.

She got out of the car, slammed the door shut and headed into the station. Jill walked up to the duty desk and said, "I am here to see my brother, Lawrence Bradley. I have been given permission to speak with him."

The officer at the duty desk looked down the list. "You are in luck, he has not been yet moved over to the main jail. Just one moment while I check on this." He left the duty desk and disappeared into the back room.

Jill looked around police headquarters. Officers were headed in every direction. She did not have much use for the police, but she would use whoever she had to to get what she wanted. Karen Bradley's death had presented a perfect opportunity. If she had lived, Jill had no doubt she would have talked her into getting control of Amy's money away from Larry. Karen had been fed up with Larry's obsession to get Amy out of the wheelchair. Although unexpected, her death had been a godsend.

The duty officer returned to the desk, followed by another officer. The officer was in uniform and addressed Jill. "Miss Bradley, if you will follow me, I will take you to see your brother."

"Thank you," she said with a smile that was less than sincere.

She was led into the visitors room. A glass separated the visitor from the prisoner. Jill Bradley sat down and waited for her brother to appear. Glancing to her right, there was a telephone. She supposed that was how she was going to communicate with Larry.

She kept going over in her mind how she wanted this conversation to go. She had to convince her brother to reverse his decision to allow Amy to stay with Ironside. She had thought she could wait until he was convicted of Karen's murder, but she wanted the money now.

The door to the prisoners' cell opened and Lawrence Bradley was led into the room. He saw his sister on the other side of the glass. He went and sat down. When he picked up the phone, Jill did the same.

Smiling at him, she said, "How are you holding up, Larry?"

Weary of why his sister had showed up at this particular time, he responded, "What are you doing here, Jill? You haven't spoken to me in years. So why are you here now?"

This was going to be harder than even she expected. However, she had every intention of succeeding. Once again she smiled at her brother and responded to his questions. "I know that we have been on the outs for years. That doesn't mean that I do not care about you and your well-being. I have been thinking about you constantly since you were charged with Karen's murder. I want you to know that I don't believe for one second that you did it. I just thought that this might be a good time for us to reconcile our differences. You know, agree to disagree. What do you think?"

"What do I think? I think you are after something. You have spent your entire life conniving to get what you want. I don't believe for one second as you put it, that you care about my well-being. You have never given a damn about anybody but yourself. You are strictly here to see if you can get your hands on Amy's grant money."

Jill made an extreme effort to control the anger and disgust she had for the man on the other side of the glass. She just couldn't wait until he was convicted of this crime, which she was certain that he would be. Well, not exactly certain because of his lawyer being Perry Mason. For that very reason, she had to get control of Amy's money now.

"You will never change, will you, Larry? I come here with my hat in hand and want to reconcile with you, and this is the way you treat me. I am sincere when I tell you that I still love you and want to help. I came here to ask you to reconsider your decision of having Amy stay with Robert Ironside. He is a complete stranger to her and what she needs right now is family. She needs some semblance of home life. I am her aunt, Larry, she belongs with me. I can give her the love that she needs. Ironside does not love her."

Lawrence Bradley just shook his head. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked up at his sister. "You don't give a damn about Amy. How can you provide love to her when you have never loved anyone in your life. If you were talking to a stranger, you might get away with this act. You are talking to me, dear sister. You are forgetting that I know you. So let's get this straight right now. You are not getting your hands on Amy's grant money. It will be spent on her alone. Nor am I reversing my decision as to where she will stay until I am acquitted. She stays with Chief Ironside. He can teach her so much. You could not teach her anything except how to connive."

"That's what I get for coming here to support you," she said, her tone extremely nasty.

Lawrence Bradley roared with laughter. "You never supported anybody in your life. Don't think I can't see through you. And I guarantee one thing, when I am acquitted, you will never ever see Amy again. I don't want her anywhere near you. You don't care about me or Amy. What you care about is the money."

"You son of a bitch! I am on the witness list for the prosecution and I intend to put that final nail in your coffin. You are going to be convicted, Larry. You are not going to get away with killing Karen."

"Now that is a fine example of why I don't believe a word you say. When you came in here you said you didn't believe for one second that I was guilty. Obviously you think I am, so you lied. You always lie, Jill. You lie to get whatever it is you want. I can't believe we came out of the same parents. Now get out of here and leave me alone. I want nothing further to do with you." Lawrence got up and walked back to the door where a police officer was standing.

"Get me the hell out of here!" The officer led him away as Jill still sat on the other side of the window.

If he thought for one minute that she was not going to get custody of that little brat, he was wrong. As soon as he was convicted, she would file for permanent custody of Amy. Then she would stick her and some home where they take cripples. She was going to get that money and she would celebrate when that guilty verdict came about. Jill Bradley intended to help it along.

*

Later that evening, Perry and Della waited in his office for Robert Ironside to return. They did not have to wait long as they heard the loud boisterous voice of the detective as he entered the outer office.

"I will announce myself," Ironside told Gertie.

The door opened and Chief Ironside wheeled himself into his brother's office. Gertie followed close behind. She gave her boss that exasperated look.

"It's okay, Gertie," Mason soothed with a smile.

Gertie left the office. She was not happy as she knew that Mister Mason did not like people barging into his office without an appointment or being announced.

"Alright, Bob. What was so important that you could not allow Gertie to announce you?" Mason asked.

"I did not think I needed to be announced to my own brother. Now what have you found out?" Ironside responded.

Della only smiled as she knew Perry would not take it any further with his brother's unannounced entrance into his office. Even Paul knocked on the door before entering.

"Jill Bradley was having an affair," Perry informed him. We were able to get a description of him. Tall, blonde to light brown hair, blue eyes. She stayed with him at the Roadside Motel just out of town from the fifteenth to the eighteenth. Della showed the clerk a picture of Jill Bradley and he confirmed it was she."

"What about the man, did you get a name?" Ironside asked.

"Of course I did," Perry replied. "It is probably an alias, but the name he used was Jason Thorsen."

"You can be sure it was an alias. We need to find out who the man is."

"I will put Paul on it as soon as we see him," Perry assured him. "Now what did Lawrence Bradley tell you?"

"The book that was out of order had an envelope in it."

"What was in the envelope?" Perry inquired.

Ironside proceeded to tell Mason everything that Bradley had told him.

"Then someone knew where to look and took the envelope," Mason said.

"The question is who took it," Della spoke up.

"And why?" Ironside added.

"There had to be something in that envelope of value," Perry surmised.

"But what, Perry?" Della asked. "If it was a legal paper of some kind, then whoever took it could not do anything with it."

"Unless they changed and forged a signature," Ironside said.

Mason shook his head. "No, they could not do that. If it was registered with the courts, that would not do them any good. It might even get them in a lot of trouble."

"How do we know it was registered with the courts?" Ironside questioned. "It may have been something that he wanted Amy to have that he didn't think was important enough to go through the courts."

"Then why steal it?" Della wondered.

"That is a very good question, which leads me to believe that it was very important," Ironside said.

"Well, whatever it is, we have to find out, and we have to find out who Jay was in that picture on Karen Bradley's desk, as well as who the man was that Jill Bradley was having an affair with." Ironside wheeled over to the terrace window and looked out.

"I don't understand why the man Jill Bradley was having an affair with is so important," Della said.

"Right now, Della, we don't have much to go on. We have to check out all possibilities, even if we don't have a clue where they might lead," Perry told her.

"It doesn't look good at this point, Perry. We don't have a whole lot to go on," Ironside said.

"I know that, Bob. Right now, the only thing I can think about is food. I am hungry."

"Good, because you owe me a great big steak for dinner," Della told him. "You did not feed me all day."

"We are going out to dinner," Ironside informed them.

Mason stood up and walked over to the terrace window where his brother still sat. "Why Bob, are you taking us out to dinner?" He had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Our father called. We are picking them up to go to dinner. I made the reservation in your name, but I'll tell you what, I will flip you for who picks up the check." Ironside pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Call it." He flipped the coin in the air and let it drop. Before it hit the floor, Mason made his call.

"Heads," the lawyer called out while the coin was still in the air. The coin spun around for a second or two and then laid flat on the floor beside Ironside's chair.

The detective looked down at the coin and grinned. "It's tails. You buy." He reached down, picked up the coin and put it back into his pocket.

"Now just a minute, Bob. I have heard you use a coin where both sides are the same. How do we know you did not do that? I want to see that coin that has both sides the same."

"Perry!" Della scolded.

"I want to see the coin, Della."

Ironside reached back into his pocket and fumbled for the coin. He pulled it out and showed Mason a coin that was the same on both sides, only it was a two-headed coin. "Do you think I would use a two-headed coin on my own brother?" The grin on his face was widening.

"So do you have a two-tailed coin, also?" Mason demanded.

Della began laughing. "Let's go to dinner, gentlemen, I'm hungry."

She headed for the door. Ironside turned his chair around and followed her. Mason stopped the forward progress of his chair and said, "So do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Have a coin with tails on both sides?" Mason demanded.

Ironside only grinned. "You will never know." He put both hands on each side of the door and pulled his chair out of Mason's office.

They decided to take the van as everyone would fit in it. When they arrived at the Mason home, they were already exiting the house. Amy wheeled her chair up to the street and sat there waiting for Mister Mason to help her over the curb. As the elder Mason walked over and took hold of the handles on the chair, Ironside stopped him.

"Let her do it herself," he shouted.

"But I can't," Amy protested. I can't get down from that curb."

"Yes you can. Watch me. Ironside headed for the curb picking up speed. When he reached it, the chair went off the curb and landed on the wheels. Ironside turned his chair around. "Okay, now you try it."

Amy looked up at William Mason. He smiled and nodded at her. He could see the fear in her eyes. Perry walked over to the end of the curb to step in if Amy did not stay upright.

The little girl began wheeling towards the curb, moving faster as she went just as Ironside had done. She flew off the curb. When the chair seemed to be tipping forward, she threw her weight to the back of the chair, forcing it upright again. She landed on both wheels. A big grin spread across her face. "I did it!"

"Of course you did," Ironside said. "Now let's get into the van. I am hungry."

Della looked over at Perry and smiled. "He's good for her."

"She is about the only one he's good for," Mason grumbled. "I still think he used a coin that had both sides the same.

"Della laughed. "Get over it, Perry. You are picking up the check."

"Why does he never lose when it comes to picking up the check?" Mason asked her.

Della just smiled. "Let's go, counselor."

*

Perry Mason and Della Street walked up the stairs to the court house. They were lined with reporters shouting questions at the attorney. Mason just smiled and continued to move Della through the crowd, holding on to her elbow.

As they reach the top of the stairs, Perry opened the door and the couple entered. There were more reporters waiting on the inside for the famous lawyer. Pushing and shoving, they stuck microphones in his face and blocked their path.

"Come on, Mister Mason. Talk to us. How do you feel about your chances in this case. Hamilton Burger believes he has a slam-dunk winner with this one," a reporter shouted at him.

Mason could see that he was not going to make any progress into the courtroom unless he threw them a bone. "All due respect to my esteemed colleague, he always thinks he has a slam dunk winner. We will let justice take its course. I am confident that my client will be exonerated of the charges. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to be in court."

Mason once again began pushing his way through the crowd of reporters. When he reached the doors of the courtroom, he opened them and allowed Della to enter in front of him. They went to the front of the room and through the gates that separated the spectators from the lawyers. Lawrence Bradley was already at the defense table. He stood up and shook his attorney's hand as reporters around the room snapped pictures of the two men. Mason took his place on the isle at the table. His client sat beside him and Della Street sat next to him.

Hamilton Burger entered the room to almost as much attention as Mason himself got. He walked over to the prosecution's table and set his briefcase down. Glancing over at Mason, he decided to make one last offer. He left his seat and headed directly for the defense attorney.

"Perry, if you are interested, we will be more than willing to plea down to second-degree murder and not ask for the death penalty."

Mason shook his head. "No thank you, Hamilton. I would not be doing my client any favors in having him plead guilty to a murder he did not commit."

With a surprised look on his face, Berger said, "You must be kidding! You have seen the evidence. Your client is guilty as hell. I am trying to give you a break here. Plead to second-degree murder and there will be no death penalty. If you persist on going with this hearing and trial, I will ask for the death penalty."

"There will be no death penalty. My client is innocent and it will be proven in this hearing." Mason, of course was not as confident as he sounded. He knew they did not have anything in the way of acquitting Bradley of his wife's murder, but with his brother's help, they were going to find it.

Burger just shook his head. He wondered how Mason could be so stubborn. He was offering him a way out, and he was rejecting it out of hand. He had warned him, he would ask for the death penalty with a clear conscience. Burger turned around and went back to the prosecution's table.

The bailiff walked into the room and announced, "All rise. Superior Court is now in session. Judge Leo Donovan presiding."

Everyone in the courtroom got to their feet as Judge Donovan entered and took his place on the bench. "Please be seated. In the case of the people of California versus Lawrence Bradley, is the prosecution ready?"

Hamilton Burger stood up and addressed his remarks to the bench. "Yes your honor."

"Is the defense ready?"

Mason stood up and said, "the defense is ready, your honor."

"Mr. prosecutor, would you like to make an opening statement?"

"I would." For the next ten minutes Hamilton Burger told the court how he intended to prove that a murder had been committed and that there was reasonable evidence to show that Lawrence Bradley had committed the murder. The judge then ask Perry Mason if he wanted to make an opening statement. Mason declined, stating that he would make his opening statement when the defense put on their case.

"Then Mister Burger, call your first witness," the judge ordered.

"The people call David McPherson to the stand."

After being sworn in McPherson took his place on the witness stand. Hamilton Burger glanced over at Perry Mason and then walked up to the witness. "Please state your name and occupation for the record."

"Doctor David McPherson, I work in the medical examiner's office."

Did you do the autopsy on Karen Bradley?" Burger asked.

"I did."

"And what were your findings?"

"She died of a blow to the back of the head, causing massive bleeding and a crushed scull."

Burger walked over to the evidence table and picked up a bookend. Bringing it back to the witness, he handed it to him. "Considering the size and shape of the area caved in on the back of the head, would you say that this could be the murder weapon?"

Mason stood up. "Objection! That bookend has not been proven to be the murder weapon."

"Sustained," Judge Donovan ruled.

Burger looked back at Mason. "Alright, we will come back to that." Turning back to the doctor, he said, "Doctor McPherson, did you establish a time of death?"

"I did. Based on rigor mortis and the temperature of the body, Karen Bradley died between one o'clock and two-thirty in the afternoon."

"Thank you, Doctor." He turned around and headed back to the prosecution's table. "Your witness, Mister Mason."

Mason stood up. "Doctor, was there more than one indentation on Karen Bradley's head?" Perry asked, suspecting that there was.

"Yes. There was a smaller contusion slightly higher up on the back of the head."

Mason suspicions had been correct based on what Lawrence Bradley had told him. "So that there is no misunderstanding, a contusion is caused by a blow to the head causing a collection of blood, but does not break the skin. Is that correct?"

"It is. It is basically a collection of blood under the skin, a bruise, if you will."

"Could the contusion have caused her death?" Mason inquired.

"Oh heavens no."

"Which blow was inflicted first?"

"Objection," Hamilton Burger called out. "The question is incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial. The doctor has already stated the blow to the head that caused the scull to cave in was the fatal blow."

The judge looked over at the defense attorney. "Mister Mason?"

"Your Honor, it is very relevant, it the two blows were committed by two different people," Perry argued.

That is ridiculous!" Burger shouted. "The defendant was the only one seen leaving the house at the time of the murder. If two blows were stuck, he did both."

"A fact that is not in evidence," Mason complained. "So far there is nothing tying the defendant to the crime."

"Mister Burger, I am going to allow this line of questioning. After all, this is only a hearing. If there is evidence that someone else could have committed the murder, we should hear it."

Burger sat down showing his frustration with the judge. He sometimes wished that he could keep his cool as well as Mason did. He rarely showed emotion at all in court unless he was going after a witness, then he could be relentless.

"Doctor, once again I asked you, which blow was inflicted upon the deceased first?"

"Based on the medical evidence, it is my opinion that the blow that caused the contusion was the first one. It was then followed by the fatal blow."

"And what do you base that on?" Mason asked.

"Due to its location, if it had been inflicted after the fatal blow, the blood to the area would have completely concealed it. Since it was just a small contusion, it had to be inflicted first. Otherwise, you wouldn't have even been able to spot it"

Mason's smiled. He had gotten the answer he had wanted. It would not clear his client, but the impact of the judge was what was important. He could tell from the look on his face that it had had such an impact.

"Now doctor, you stated that the deceased died between one o'clock and two-thirty in the afternoon. Is that correct?"

"It is."

"In other words, it could have been committed right at one o'clock, is that right?"

"It is possible," Doctor McPherson said.

Then she could have been struck by some unknown assailant causing her to lose consciousness, and then someone else could have used a blunt instrument and struck the fatal blow. Isn't that right?

"Objection!" Hamilton Burger called out from the prosecution table. "Improper opinion, calls for a conclusion of the witness."

Sustained," the judge ruled.

Mason turned back to the defense table as he said, "No further questions." He'd gotten out of the doctor what he wanted.

Burger stood up and called out, "The prosecution calls Lieutenant Arthur Tragg to the stand." After Tragg was sworn in, he took the stand and waited for Burger to begin.


	16. Chapter 16

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 16

Lieutenant Arthur Tragg glanced over at Perry Mason. He was always amazed at the way Mason was able to maintain a poker face no matter what the testimony against his client was. He was anxious to see if it would be the case when he was done testifying. He knew that what he had to say was going to be extremely damaging to the defendant. He also look forward to Mason's cross-examination. He was one tough lawyer, and Tragg always attempted to be sure he never tripped him up on the stand.

"State your name and occupation, please," Burger told the detective.

"Lieutenant Arthur Tragg, Homicide Division, Los Angeles Police Department," Tragg responded.

"And how many years have you been with the homicide department, Lieutenant?"

Mason glanced over at Della who raised an eyebrow at him. She was questioning the need for going over Tragg's qualifications since he had testified in court dozens of times as well as in front of this judge. He was not about to allow Burger to grandstand.

Standing up the defense attorney said, "Your Honor, the defense will concede Lieutenant Tragg as an expert witness in his field. It is not necessary to take up the court's time going into the lieutenant's record."

A bit indignant, Hamilton looked back at Mason. "If it is alright with you, Mister Mason, I would prefer to conduct the prosecution's case my way."

Judge Leo Donavan decided to interrupt the attorneys before it turned into an argument. "Mister Burger, I am inclined to agree with Mister Mason. Lieutenant Tragg's reputation is well known to this court and Mister Mason has conceded his expertise. Please save it for the jury… if there is one."

Burger glanced over at Mason, giving him a look of disapproval for having interfered with his manner of questioning Tragg. Of course he was not trying to impress a jury, but the courtroom was full of reporters. Hamilton wanted to make sure they printed the lieutenant's qualifications on the newspapers. It would help sway public opinion in his favor. "Lieutenant, were you called to the Bradley home on the day of the murder?"

"I was," Tragg answered.

"And what did you find?"

"Karen Bradley was found dead on the floor in what was the library of the home."

"Could you determine what caused her death?"

"I could. She appeared to have been hit on the head with a rather heavy object."

"A bookend," Hamilton stated.

"Objection," Mason called out. "Mister Burger is testifying for the witness."

"Sustained. You know better, Mister Burger."

"Sorry, Your Honor." He once again glanced back at his courtroom adversary before continuing. "Did you locate anything in the room that could have caused the blow to the head?"

"Not at the time," Tragg testified, "but I did notice that books were laying on their side on a shelf. There seem to be one bookend missing as there was only one on the shelf."

"Did you locate the missing bookend?"

"Yes sir, I did."

"And where did you find it?"

Lieutenant Tragg look directly at Burger and said, "In the glove compartment of the defendant's car."

"And what did you find upon your examination of this bookend?" Burger inquired.

"There was blood on it as well is the floor of the trunk of the car."

"Did the blood match that of the deceased?"

"It did. We did a DNA test on it and it was definitely Karen Bradley's blood."

"And was the bookend dusted for prints?" Burger asked.

"It was. The prints match those of the defendant's."

"I now ask that the bookend be entered into evidence as exhibit A for the prosecution," Berger said.

"No objections," Mason said from his defense table.

"What if anything else did you find in the library where Karen Bradley was murdered?"

"We discovered there was a security system which included a camera."

"In what did you find when you examined the system?"

"We discovered that the library was covered by the camera and the murder had been recorded."

The courtroom broke out in chaos. Several reporters headed out to report to their respective news stations. Judge Donovan slammed his gavel on the bench and shouted, "Order in the Court! I will not tolerate such outbursts."

The courtroom immediately calmed down and became quiet. Donovan turn to Hamilton Burger and said, "You may continue."

"I have no further questions." Burger looked back at Perry Mason and said, "Your witness, Counselor."

Mason stood up from his chair and walked over to the witness stand. Smiling at Lieutenant Tragg, he asked, "Lieutenant, you stated that the defendant's fingerprints were found on the bookend, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Now this was in his library, correct?"

"Yes," the lieutenant answered.

"Are you aware that Lawrence Bradley did much of his work directly from his library that he also used as an office?"

"I am."

"Are you also aware that Lawrence Bradley is an avid reader?"

"Yes, I am aware of that. I understand he read seven or eight books at the same time, and kept them on the shelf where the matching bookend to the missing one was sitting."

"Since, Lieutenant, the library also served as his office and he kept the books he was reading on that shelf, would it be unusual to find his fingerprints on the bookends?"

Tragg knew that Mason would ask this question knowing he would have to answer him exactly the way he wanted him to. "No, I suppose not."

"Did you check to see if his fingerprints were on the bookend that was still on the shelf?"

"Yes, I did."

"And were his fingerprints on that bookend, the one that remained on the shelf?"

"Yes, his fingerprints were on it."

Perry knew that he had brought up an important point. It certainly would not win the case, but it did point out that Lawrence Bradley's fingerprints on the bookend, which was the murder weapon, would not be unusual.

Changing the subject, Mason asked, "Lieutenant, would you play for the court the security video that showed the murder?"

Burger angrily shot out of his chair. "No, he will not. It will not be presented at this time. It is part of the prosecution's case and will be presented at the jury trial."

Mason turned his attention to the bench. "Your Honor, Mister Burger opened the door for my cross-examination on this video when he brought it up as part of this witness's testimony. I have the right to question this witness regarding this video," Mason insisted.

"Then questioned him on it, but we are not presenting it until the jury trial," Burger said, raising his voice.

"Gentlemen, this court will decide whether or not the video is to be produced at this time," Judge Donovan said sternly. "I appreciate the fact that the prosecutor wants to present his case in his own manner, however, Mister Mason is correct that you opened the door, Mister Burger. How can the defense attorney possibly question this witness about a video he has not even seen? Therefore, I am going to insist that the prosecution produce the video and play it so that Mister Mason can question Lieutenant Tragg regarding its contents."

"But Your Honor!" Burger protested.

Judge Donovan was having no second thoughts despite Burger's protests. "The court has ruled, Mister Prosecutor. Produce the video."

It was all Burger could do to contain his anger. He looked over at Mason. "We do not have it here in the courtroom. It will take some time to produce it."

"How much time, Mister Burger?" Donovan demanded.

"Fifteen minutes," Burger suggested.

Donovan turned his attention to Mason. "Do you have any further questions of this witness, Counselor?"

"I have one or two," Mason replied.

"You may continue, Mister Mason."

Burger whispered to his assistant beside him, and the man immediately left the room. He was regretting asking Tragg about the video. He had wanted to show the judge the overwhelming evidence against Lawrence Bradley and it had backfired. He did not want Mason to see the video until the jury trial. It had been a miscalculation on his part. No, he admitted, it had been a major blunder. He should have surprised him with it at the jury trial. He should have known Perry would insist on seeing it now. He always tried to get everything he could out of witnesses at the hearing so that he had a good idea what the case against his client was going to be at the trial.

Mason went back to Lieutenant Tragg. He smiled at him, something that used to throw Tragg a bit in the beginning, but the lieutenant was used to Mason's tactics of giving a witness the false pretense of putting them at ease and then tearing into them on the witness stand.

"Lieutenant, does the defendant have more than one vehicle?"

Tragg was unsure where Mason was going with this. He didn't see what difference it made, the bookend was found in one particular car. "Yes, I believe he has three vehicles."

"And what are they?" Mason questioned.

"He owns a Cadillac, a Range Rover and a Corvette."

"And which one of the vehicles was the bookend found in?" Mason looked directly into the lieutenant's eyes.

"It was found in the Cadillac," Tragg answered.

"Where were the other two vehicles?"

"The Corvette was parked in the garage, the Range Rover was not on the premises." He made sure he only answered Mason about the two vehicles he asked about. He would offer no information on the Cadillac.

"Do you know which one of the vehicles the defendant normally drove?"

"He normally drove the Range Rover," Tragg answered.

"And who drove the Cadillac?" Mason asked.

"Karen Bradley."

"I see. Why would the defendant put the bookend in Karen Bradley's car to be discovered later? He could have taken it with him and dropped it somewhere it would not be found."

"I don't know, Counselor. Maybe he wanted to try to blame the murder on someone else."

"By putting it in his wife's vehicle? You think he was trying to make it look like she murdered herself?" Mason asked with a slight smirk. The courtroom broke out in laughter.

"Oh, I object!" Burger called out.

"Sustained," Donovan ruled after banging his gavel to restore order.

"Who had keys to each of the vehicles?" Mason asked.

"They each had keys to the vehicles they drove."

"But no keys to the other two that they did not drive on a regular basis?"

"There was a second set to each vehicle on hooks near the door that entered into the garage in case they needed to drive the other vehicles," Tragg reported.

"So anyone could have taken the set of keys to the Cadillac, could they not?" Mason questioned.

"Not exactly. They were in the house. An individual would have to have access to the house in order to get the keys."

"The keys were in plain sight, were they not?" Mason thundered.

"Well yes, but someone still had to have access to the house," said Tragg.

"Anyone visiting the house would have seen them on the hooks near the garage door?"

"It's possible."

"Isn't it possible that someone could have taken them, thereby having access to put the bookend in the Cadillac after murdering Karen Bradley?"

"Objection! Mister Mason is asking the witness to speculate," Burger argued.

"Sustained!" the judge ruled.

"Where was the Corvette parked?" Mason asked.

"In the garage," Tragg reported.

"And the Cadillac?"

"In the driveway?"

Mason turned quickly to look at Hamilton Burger. That was not in the police report that Paul had produced for him. It had stated that there was a three-car garage. It was a point Mason had definitely wanted to clarify. It would be important later on.

The door to the courtroom opened and Burger's assistant had returned with a laptop computer in his hands. He went straight to the prosecution's table and gave it to Hamilton. Burger stood up and said, "Your Honor, we have the video in court at this time."

"Please connect the laptop to the courtroom video screen," the judge requested.

Burger's assistant took the next few minutes to connect the two. When he was done, he turned and nodded at Hamilton. Burger announced to the judge, "The video is ready, Your Honor."

"Please play it for the court," Leo Donovan said.

The assistant keyed in commands on the laptop and the video appeared on the screen. Karen Bradley was lying on the floor beside the coffee table. Someone entered the room. The killer headed straight for the bookcase and took it from the shelf. Perry noticed right away that the killer was wearing a hat pulled low down over his eyes. He had on blue jeans and an overcoat. He walked over to Karen Bradley who was just beginning to stir. As Bradley tried to stand up, the killer raised the bookend into the air and brought it down on Karen's head. She slumped to the floor unmoving. The killer then went to the camera, reached up near it and pulled a book from the shelf. When he did, the cufflinks bearing the initials LRB became visible. The killer took the book and left the room.

Murmurs sounded around the courtroom only to once again be silenced by Judge Leo Donovan's gavel.

Mason, getting up from his table where he had retreated to watch the courtroom screen, headed to the witness. He asked that the video be played again and stopped at the point where Karen Bradley had been lying on the floor before the killer had entered.

"Lieutenant, where is the rest of the video?" Mason asked.

Burger seemed momentarily confused. "I don't know what you mean."

"Didn't the security system run the video twenty-four hours a day?"

"Well yes, but not in this case," Tragg said.

"Why not?" Mason demanded.

"Because it was malfunctioning."

"Malfunctioning? How?"

"Well it was not covering the rest of the house, only the library, and that quit right after the murder was committed."

"Don't you think that was rather convenient, Lieutenant?"

"Not if the killer was trying to sabotage the system to keep from being discovered."

"That would mean the killer had knowledge the system existed," Mason said. "Who had knowledge that the house was covered by a security system?"

"The Bradleys, of course and most of their friends."

"Did you have an expert look at the system?" Mason inquired.

"Yes."

"What were his findings?"

Burger stood up and said, "Objection! Not best evidence. The expert himself should supply the information."

"I think we can trust the word of Lieutenant Tragg, Mister Burger. Objection overruled. "You may answer the question, Lieutenant."

"He could not find anything wrong with the system. He said that certain rooms had been purposely turned off by Lawrence Bradley."

"By Lawrence Bradley?" Mason questioned.

"Yes, that is obviously a video of him murdering his wife," Tragg said.

"It might be obvious to you, but it certainly is not obvious to me and I am sure it is not obvious to the court. The face of the killer was never turned toward the camera. A hat is pulled down low over his face and the overcoat obstructed any view of the killer's body."

"Your Honor, despite Mister Mason's statement, I would like to enter the video as exhibit B," Burger said.

"I certainly object to this being entered into evidence. There is nothing to tie this to the defendant."

Hamilton Burger stood up. "Since defense counsel has forced my hand regarding this video, I request that it be entered into evidence. However, before that is done, if the court will permit me to ask one question, I will tie this video to the client."

Perry Mason knew exactly what was coming. He also knew there was no way to prevent it from being entered into the record. Therefore, he did not object, but he was damn sure that Hamilton Burger was going to tie the video into his client before it was entered. He did not like doing it this way, but he had to get a look at the video so that he could find a way to fight it later on.

"Any objections, Mister Mason," the judge asked.

"No objection," Mason said.

Burger stood up and went over to Lieutenant Tragg. He asked that the video be forwarded to the spot where the killer reached up for a book near the camera. Burger's assistant again typed in a command into the laptop and the scene Hamilton asked for appeared on the screen.

"Lieutenant, do you see the cufflinks that the killer is wearing in that frame?"

'Yes,"

"Please tell the court what the initials are that appear on those cufflinks."

The initials are LRB," Tragg replied.

"And will you tell the court what Lawrence Bradley's full name is?" Burger said raising his voice.

"His full name is Lawrence Ryan Bradley."

"I would like to enter the video into evidence as exhibit B," Burger said.

"No objection," Mason called out from the defense table.

"No further questions," Mason said.

"The witness will step down," the judge said. "Mister Burger, call your next witness."

"The people call Doctor Norman Fraser."

Doctor Fraser was sworn in and took the stand.

*

Ironside waited for Paul Drake at Mason's office. He had asked him to meet him there. Paul was late and Ironside was getting impatient. He didn't like it when his staff was late. Waiting around was a waste of his time. He needed to be out looking for evidence to clear Lawrence Bradley, not sitting around waiting on his brother's private detective.

He reached for Mason's private phone and pressed the line to Gertie's office.

Gertie had been stressed ever since Robert Ironside had come to town. He was demanding and wanted everything immediately. He didn't have the patience or demeanor of Mister Mason. Gertie wondered how the two men could possibly be related. They may have a strong resemblance to one another, but as far as she was concerned, that is where the similarity ended. Her boss was soft-spoken where his brother was gruff and boisterous. Mason expressed himself to the point when frustrated, Ironside expressed himself through sarcasm. Both were demanding, but Ironside seemed to expect the impossible. She did not always like the way he spoke to Mister Mason. Still, she knew better than to show her own frustration toward the detective because she knew the man loved her boss and would do anything to help him, just as he was doing now. She wished either Mister Mason or Miss Street was there to act as a buffer between her and his brother.

She picked up the line and said, "Yes, Chief Ironside."

"Has Paul Drake called in yet?" The impatience in Ironside's voice came through loud and clear.

It had only been twenty minutes since the last time he had asked. Gertie had called Paul's cell phone but he had not answered it. She was about to tell Ironside that he had not reported in when the outer office door opened and the tall detective entered.

With a big smile, Paul chirped, "Hello, Gert. Is Chief Ironside here?" He did not need a verbal confirmation as he could read the frustration on her face. "Tell him I am here."

Relieved that she could tell the detective that Paul was in, she removed her hand from the receiver and said, "Chief, Mister Drake just walked in."

"Send him in," Ironside barked.

Paul walked into Mason's office. As soon as he did, Robert Ironside looked up from Perry's desk and said, "You're late, Mister Drake."

"I don't think you will mind when you find out why I'm late. I got a line on the author of that book," Paul said in his defense.

"Jay Morgenstein?" Ironside questioned.

"That's the one. I was just about to go see him when I got word that you wanted me to meet you here. Can whatever it was that you wanted to see me about wait? I thought maybe you would like to go with me to see Morgenstein."

Ironside was already wheeling towards the door. Paul watched him as he opened it, put both hands on each side of the door frame and pulled his chair into Della's office. The detective looked over his shoulder and shouted, "Well come on, Mister Drake, we don't have all day."

Agreeing that it was easier to take the van Ironside was using, Drake got in behind the wheel as Ironside wheeled onto the lift and got into the van.

Drake pulled the vehicle into traffic and headed for the residence of Jay Morganstein.

"How did you find him?" Ironside asked the private detective.

"It wasn't easy. This guy has covered his tracks. He no longer goes by the name Morgenstein. Actually, I have to admit I just got lucky. I called an old friend who is a doctor who specializes in spinal cord injuries. I asked him about the book and he said that it is several years old and that they did not use the procedures in it any longer. He just happened to know the author. He did some checking for me and was able to find out where the man lived. Apparently, he had been sued on several occasions because of failed procedures on patients. It literally bankrupt him. After that, he kind of faded into obscurity. Fortunately, my doctor friend was able to locate him through another friend. He lives on the outskirts of town."

"What has he been doing since he left the medical profession?" Ironside asked.

Paul grinned. "That is the interesting part, Chief. He has no known income. However, he has been linked with many women, most of them on the verge of inheriting a lot of money. Four of them died accidental deaths."

That caught Ironside's attention immediately. "Any connection to Karen Bradley that you can find?"

"I haven't had a chance to look into it, but believe me I will. Perry would insist on it."

"He's not the only one," Ironside said.

The rest of the trip was driven in silence. Several scenarios were running through Chief Ironside's mind. Every now and then Paul Drake would glance in his direction. He knew the detective was trying to work out in his mind what possible connection this man could have to their case. Out of respect, he remained quiet and allowed the detective to think.

As they drove out of town, they headed into an exclusive neighborhood of very expensive homes. Paul drove the van down the street, turn left into a dead end circular driveway, and then pulled the vehicle to a stop. "This is it, Chief. I can't guarantee the good doctor will be home."

Ironside got into the lift and press the button. "Home or not, he obviously is not a good doctor."

After the lift lowered Ironside to the sidewalk, Paul Drake walked beside him as he wheeled his chair toward the home that could easily be described as a mansion. It was huge, at least three floors. The house was the largest and most expansive in the neighborhood. There were three steps leading to the front door. Ironside stopped and glanced down at them. Looking up at Drake, he said, "give me a hand, Paul, would you please?"

The private eye step behind his chair and tipped it toward him. He moved the chair up a step at a time until it was on the same level as the front door. The two men went to the door and Paul rang the bell. When no one answered, he rang it again. Still no one came to the door.

"Check around back," Ironside told him. "I'll wait here."

Drake nodded and went around to the back of the house. Ironside wheeled over to the window. Peering in, he could see that the house was expensively furnished. It would be interesting to find out where this man was getting his money. If he had no known occupation, and the former one nearly bankrupt him, how could he live in such luxury? It was a question that the chief intended on asking, that is if they could find him.

A few minutes later, Paul Drake returned with a tall man with light brown hair that was almost blonde. He supported piercing blue eyes that were deep set in his head.

"Chief this is Doctor Jay Morgenstein. He goes by the name of Jason Thornsen."


	17. Chapter 17

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 17

Hamilton Burger approached the witness stand. "Doctor, will you tell the court what area of medicine that you specialize in, please."

"My specialty is spinal cord injuries," the doctor answered.

"And did you have the opportunity to treat Amy Bradley?"

"I did."

"And what were your findings?"

"Amy was born with two shattered conjunctions in her spine resulting in paralysis. She is a paraplegic. Amy is paralyzed from the waist down."

"Much like the same condition that Chief Ironside suffers from, is it not?" Burger asked.

Mason was on his feet immediately. "Objection! Doctor Fraser has never examined Robert Ironside. He would have no idea what Chief Ironside's spinal injury is except for what he has read in the papers."

"The objection is sustained," Judge Donovan said.

"What about surgery? Is there any known procedure at this time that would reverse her condition?"

"No, there is not. The condition is permanent, at least for now as there is not any known medical procedure in existence at this time"

"Doctor Fraser, was the defendant aware of this permanent condition?"

"He absolutely was. However, he did not accept my diagnosis."

"What do you mean by he did not accept it?"

"He continually took Amy to different specialist for another opinion, hoping to find someone who would operate on her and reversed the condition."

"And he was told the same thing by each specialist?"

Perry Mason again stood up. "Objection, Your Honor. Unless the witness was present when these other diagnosis took place, he would not know what the defendant was told."

Hamilton Burger smiled and addressed the bench. "If I may be allowed to ask my next question, that point will be cleared up."

Judge Leo Donovan nodded. "The objection is overruled. The witness may answer the question."

"Were you consulted in any of these cases by the attending physicians?"

"I was consulted in every case."

Burger looked back at Mason with a triumphant look on his face. "And what was the result of these consultations?"

"Each and every expert agreed with my diagnosis. They all told Mister Bradley that the condition was permanent and that no known procedure existed which would reverse it."

"Had you discussed these diagnosis with the defendant?"

"Indeed I did."

"Did he then accept the condition as permanent?" Burger continued to question the doctor.

"No, I am afraid he did not. He began looking for experimental procedures that might possibly reverse her condition."

Hamilton Burger walked around to the other side of the witness. Placing both hands on the stand, he asked, "Was Mrs. Bradley present when you discussed the results of the other physicians' diagnosis with the defendant?"

"She was always present."

Without removing his hands from the stand, Hamilton Burger move to the other side. "Did Mrs. Bradley accept the diagnosis of the other physicians as well as yourself?"

"Yes, she did. She tried to get her husband to accept the fact that Amy would never walk."

"But he did not, did he?"

"No, he did not."

"In fact, they argued about it didn't they?"

"Objection!" Mason called out from the defense table.

Burger looked back at Mason and responded before the judge had a chance to rule. "I will rephrase." He returned his attention to his witness and asked, "Did you ever witness an argument between the two of them regarding his continual search for a cure for her condition?"

"Yes, they got into a very loud argument in my office regarding just that."

"And what was said?" Burger inquired.

"Mrs. Bradley threatened to divorce him and gain full custody of Amy."

When Burger turned around to face Mason, there was a smirk on his face. "Your witness, Counselor."

Mason stood up and faced Doctor Frazier. "Doctor, did the defendant ever threaten Mrs. Bradley with physical harm?"

"No, not in my presence."

"In fact, the only thing he did was want to help his daughter?"

"Yes sir, misguided, but that is all he wanted to do."

"And Mrs. Bradley, did she state any reason for not wanting to check other procedures?"

"She didn't want to spend the money, she said it was a waste to spend anymore money on Amy."

"Those were her exact words?"

"Yes sir, they were."

"And what was the defendant's response to that?"

"He accused her of trying to get her hands on Amy's grant money."

"Your honor, I am going to have to object to this line of questioning. Mister Mason is attempting to put the deceased on trial."

"Mr. Mason, I am going to have to agree. I do not see where this line of questioning is relevant," Judge Donovan said.

"I have no more questions of this witness," Mason said. He had made the point he wanted to make.

"You may step down. Mister Burger, call your next witness."

"The people call Helen Renali to the stand," Burger called out.

*

Ironside looked at Morgenstein for a moment and then said, "My name is Robert Ironside."

"I know who you are. What I don't know is what you are doing here and what you want?"

"You are Jay Morgenstein?" the detective asked him.

"No, my name is Jason Thorsen."

"That is the name you go by, but your real name is Jay Morgenstein, is it not?" Ironside demanded.

"No, it is not. I legally changed my name in the courts. That makes my name Jason Thorsen. Now, do you mind telling me what the hell you were doing here?"

Paul Drake stepped into the conversation. "You live rather nicely, Mister Thorsen. What do you do for a living?"

"I don't think that is any of your damn business, mister."

"Come now, Mister Thorsen, it would not be that difficult for us to check out. So why don't you just tell us. We are going to find out anyway. This is a beautiful home. Guessing by the size of it and its contents, you must have a lucrative position with some company. Where do you work?" Ironside look directly at the man and asked.

"I don't have to answer that," Thorsen replied.

"You can answer it now or you can answer Perry Mason in court," Drake said.

"Oh, so that's it. You are looking for a patsy to take the place of your killer. I have no intentions of helping you do that. I had nothing to do with Karen Bradley's murder. I don't even understand why you are here in the first place."

"You are having an affair with Jill Bradley," Ironside accused.

"That's ridiculous. I don't even know Jill Bradley!" His voice was beginning to rise with anger.

"The clerk at the Roadside Motel identified both of you. You stayed there from the 15th to the 18th, and you registered under Mister and Mrs. Jason Thorsen," Ironside said.

"This conversation is at an end. I don't have to talk to the two of you. You are not police." He turned to walk away but Paul Drake stepped in front of him.

Pulling a subpoena out of his pocket, he placed it in Thorsen's hand. "That is a subpoena to appear in court. You are a witness for the defense."

"A witness to what? I told you I don't know anything!" he shouted.

"You won't answer questions here, so you will answer them in court. You are going to tell us how you can afford a house that has to cost at least close to a million dollars, and furnished with extremely expensive furniture. It appears you don't even have a job. We intend to find out how you are making your living, Mister Thorsen. Furthermore, you're going to answer questions about your relationship with Jill Bradley." Ironside turned his chair around to leave.

"I told you, I don't know anything!" he shouted at Ironside and Drake as they headed down the driveway towards the van.

"That remains to be seen Mister Thorsen," Ironside called over his shoulder. "That is a subpoena. I suggest you not attempt to leave town. We will have someone watching you."

The chief pressed the button for the lift and raised his chair into the air. Paul Drake got in behind the wheel, started the van and pulled it into the street.

"He's hiding something," Ironside complained.

"I think he needs more checking into," Drake said.

"We need to find out how he can afford that place. What is his connection to Jill Bradley? Was there something in that envelope that led to money? When the hair raises on the back of my neck, I know there is something going on, and it is standing straight up. I am beginning to think that the key to this entire case is Jill Bradley."

"Do you think she had something to do with her sister-in-law's death?" Paul asked the detective.

"Not necessarily. She definitely is a money grubbing leech, but this doctor Jay Morgenstein really bothers me. I have a feeling if we find out where the money came from, that we will know exactly what his connection to Jill Bradley and Karen Bradley is."

"Then you think he might have been the one that killed her?" Paul question.

"It is at least a possibility that we need to check into. He was far too defensive and refused to answer any of our questions. Paul, can you get someone to keep an eye on him? I don't want him skipping out before Perry has a chance to question him."

Drake reached into his pocket, pulled out his cell phone and dialed his office. Speaking to his secretary, he asked her to put Louie on the line.

"Yes, Mister Drake. What do you need?"

The private detective gave his employee the address and the name of the individual living in the house. He ordered him to set up a surveillance team to keep an eye on him until further notice. Having issued the orders, he hung up the phone and replaced it back into his pocket.

"We better get to court. I am set to testify this afternoon," Ironside said.

Paul drove the van in the direction of the courthouse.

*

Helen Renali took the stand with the help of Hamilton Burger after being sworn in. She looked over at Perry Mason and smiled. Burger noticed the look she gave the defense attorney. He glanced at Mason who displayed a poker face. He could not help but wonder if Mason had spoken to her. He thought back to his interview with the elderly woman. He could not remember if he had told her not to speak to the attorney.

Once she had settled, Burger approached the witness. Mrs. Renali, you live next door to the Bradleys, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Were you at home on the day of the murder?" He reminded her of the date and then waited for her to answer.

"Yes. I was home. I don't get around to well anymore. I only get out to get groceries and..."

Hamilton interrupted her. Please, Mrs. Renali, just answer my questions."

With indignation, she snapped at Burger. "That is what I am doing! You could learn some manners from Mister Mason."

Burger immediately looked back at the attorney. "Did Perry Mason talk to you?"

She remembered Mister Mason had told her to tell Burger the truth. "Yes, he did."

"Your honor, it is obvious that the defense counsel is guilty of misconduct. He has spoken with a prosecution witness in an attempt to intimidate her."

Before Mason or the judge could say anything, Mrs. Renali spoke up. "He did no such thing. You did not tell me that I could not talk to Mister Mason. He was unaware that I was a witness for the prosecution. When I finally told him, he even told me to tell the truth if you asked if I had spoken to him. And I might say that he was much nicer than you, Mister Burger." The room broke out in laughter.

Judge Donovan banged his gavel to silence the crowd. It appears Mister Burger that Mister Mason did not attempt to intimidate your witness at all."

Burger was livid and did not attempt to hide it. He knew how Mason could charm little old ladies. This one was no different.

The judge watched as Burger struggled with his anger. He decided to give him a nudge. "Please continue, Mister Burger."

He glanced back at his courtroom adversary before returning his attention back to his witness, which he was certain was compromised and influenced by Mason. "Did you have the occasion to observe or hear anything at the Bradley home?"

"I heard an argument next door if that is what you mean."

"Were you able to hear what was said?"

"I thought I did, but now I am not sure."

Stunned with that revelation, Burger angrily looked back at Mason. He was now certain that he had indeed influenced and interfered with his witness. If he could only prove it... but he knew he would be unable to do so. "What do you mean you are not sure? You were sure when I interviewed you. You talked to Mason and now you are not certain? How can you say you are not certain? Were you or were you not influenced by Perry Mason?"

Mason stood up and addressed the bench. "Objection! The witness already answered that question. Mister Burger is attempting to impeach his own witness by intimidation."

"Intimidation!" Burger shouted. "The witness has already been intimidated by you!"

The judge stepped in before the argument could escalate. "That is enough, gentlemen. The witness has already said Mister Mason did not know that she was a prosecution witness. The objection is sustained! Move on Mister Prosecutor. I would suggest that you make no further accusations unless you can back them up with evidence. Otherwise, I will hold you in contempt of court."

Hamilton calmed down. "I apologize to the court, Your Honor." Glancing once more at Perry Mason, he turned his attention back to Helen Renali.

"Isn't it true that you were watching the Bradley house through a window that is on the side which overlooks the Bradley home?"

"I was," she admitted.

"And you did indeed witness an argument between Lawrence and Karen Bradley."

"Objection! Mister Burger is leading the witness," Mason complained.

"Sustained," Donovan ruled.

Frustrated with the course his examination was taking, Burger asked next, "What did you see through the window?"

"Well, actually, I saw them for a moment and they appeared to be arguing, but I can't be positive. They were very animated."

Burger was flabbergasted. He could not believe how her testimony had changed, and after she had talked to Perry Mason. "Isn't it true that you told me that you could clearly see their faces, and that they were clearly arguing?"

"Well, yes, I did say that, but I have had time to think about that. They may have been arguing or they may not have."

"Didn't you tell me that you could hear loud voices?" Burger said, the frustration clearly apparent in the tone of his voice.

"Yes, I did."

"What has prompted you to change your testimony?"

"I am not changing my testimony, Mister Burger. I saw them through the window; I heard loud voices and they looked like they may have been arguing."

Burger knew he could not do much more with this part of her testimony. Mason had obviously influenced her. However, he would not be able to influence the next portion of her testimony.

Burger composed himself. He walked back to the prosecutor's table. Referring to the statement that Helen Renali had given his office, he refreshed his memory. Hamilton then turned to the witness.

"When was the next time you saw Lawrence Bradley?"

"That same day," she said.

And what time was this?" Burger asked.

"At about two o'clock."

"And where was this?" Burger demanded.

"He was coming out of his house."

"Was he alone?"

"No, he was wheeling his daughter."

"Exactly where did he wheel her to?"

"He wheeled her directly to a vehicle and helped her into it, after which he then placed the wheelchair in the trunk of the car."

Hamilton Burger walked back to the prosecution's table. His assistant handed him three photographs. "Can you identify which vehicle he and Amy got into?"

She looked over all three photographs and immediately chose the one of the Range Rover. "He got into this vehicle."

Burger handed the photograph to the judge. "I would like the record to show that Lawrence Bradley and his daughter got into the Range Rover. I would like this entered as people's exhibit D."

Perry Mason came forward. He looked at the photograph. "The defense will concede that the defendant left in this Range Rover." He walked back to the defense table and sat down.

Burger would turn the witness over to Mason. He knew that Perry would try to establish that Bradley did not go anywhere near the Cadillac. Through his questioning, he would look for a way to prove that Mrs. Renali was distracted long enough to have missed him placing the bookend in the Caddie.

"Now, Mrs. Renali, did the defendant make any stops from the house to the Range Rover?" Mason asked.

"No, he did not. He wheeled his daughter straight out the front door and to the vehicle. As soon as he put the wheelchair away, he got in the vehicle himself."

Mason acted as if this surprised him. "You mean to tell the court that he did not walk over to the Cadillac and open the trunk?"

"No, absolutely not. He went directly to that car that you called the Range Rover."

"In other words, he would not have had time to stop and place the bookend in the Cadillac?"

Hamilton Burger was immediately on his feet. "Objection! Calls for a conclusion from the witness."

Perry did not hesitate, he turned to the bench and argued, "Your Honor, I do not consider this calling for a conclusion of the witness. The witness watched the defendant wheel his daughter out of the house and directly to the Range Rover. I am simply asking if he had time to stop and place the bloody bookend in the Cadillac."

"Mister Mason, the witness has already stated that he went directly to the vehicle. It is obvious to the court that if he went directly to the vehicle, he did not have, and did not take time to go to the Cadillac."

Hamilton cringed. He was regretting making the objection. The judge had just stated that there was no way he could have gone to the Cadillac to place the bookend into it.

"Therefore, I am going to sustain the objection. The question is actually been asked and answered already."

Mason was not fazed in the least. He'd actually been handed a gift by the judge. If his client had gone directly to the vehicle and did not stop to place a bookend into the Cadillac, it put a major monkey wrench into the prosecution's case.

Mason just smiled. "Alright then, I have no further questions." He looked back at Helen Renali and smiled.

Burger jumped out of his seat and stated, "Well, I have some questions on redirect."

"Go ahead, Mister Burger," the judge directed.

Burger was extremely angered. Somehow, Mason had gotten to his client. Whether or not he knew directly that she was a prosecution witness, he had to know that the prosecution would call her to the stand. He had no business talking to this woman. If he could prove that Mason knew she was a prosecution witness, friend or no friend, he would press charges.

"Mrs. Renali, you stated that the defendant wheeled directly to the vehicle and got in. You did not see him go to the Cadillac, is that correct?"

Mason thought about objecting since the question had already been asked and answered, but he decided to remain quiet.

"That is correct. He did not go to that Cadillac."

"How long were you looking out the window?"

"Well let's see, I think it was about fifteen minutes."

"And in that fifteen minutes, did you ever take your eyes off of the Bradley house?"

"No, I did not. I was worried about little Amy. After all, they were arguing about her."

"But in your testimony, you said they were not arguing. If they were not arguing, then why would you be worried about Amy?"

"No, Mister Burger, I said I wasn't sure if they were arguing. I also said they may or may not have been arguing. If they were, then I had every reason to be worried about Amy."

"Then if you were worried, you actually thought they were arguing?"

"Do not put thoughts in my head, young man. I said I was not sure. I always worried about Amy because Mrs. Bradley was mean to her."

Perry almost smiled. She could not be doing better if he had coached her in her testimony.

"I request that answer be stricken from the record as non-responsive," Burger asked the judge.

"Granted. The answer will be stricken from the record."

"You stated that you were watching the house for approximately fifteen minutes."

"That is correct."

"You did not look away even for a moment?"

"No, I did not."

"Come now, do you want this court to believe that you were not distracted even for a moment. Perhaps a pretty bird landed on the window sill, or a noisy motorcycle went by, or a child on a bicycle. Any one of these things could have distracted you."

"Objection! Mr. Burger is now testifying for the witness. She has not stated that any of these events happened. The prosecutor is attempting to place an image in her mind."

"I am doing no such thing," Burger snarled at Mason. "I am simply trying to determine if the witness was distracted and did not see the defendant come out of the house and place the bloody bookend in the car."

"I assure you, Mister Burger, that I was not distracted, and Mister Bradley did not place any bookend in the Cadillac when I was watching. The only time I was not watching was when the phone rang."

Della Street looked over at Perry Mason and knew he would not be happy about that remark. The expression on his face never changed, but she knew that had to affect him.

Hamilton Burger's expression lit up. He turned quickly towards the witness and said, "Exactly when did you go to answer the phone?"

"The phone rang when I thought Mister and Mrs. Bradley were arguing. I left the window only temporarily to answer it. It was a telemarketer, I had to hang up on him because he would not take no for an answer."

"And how long were you on the phone?" Burger asked.

"Not very long."

"How long is not very long? One minute, five minutes, ten minutes?"

It was as if Burger smelled blood in the water. His face was only inches from Helen's. She backed up just slightly before answering. "Oh no, it wasn't that long. I wasn't on the phone for more than a minute."

"Could it have been two minutes?"

"Well, I suppose it could have been two minutes."

"What about three minutes? Could it have been three minutes?" Burger pressured the witness.

"I don't know, I don't think so. It wasn't very long."

"But you don't know that it wasn't three minutes, do you?"

"I just told you that I do not know. I don't believe it was that long."

"But you don't know for sure, do you? It could have been three minutes, could it not? Could it have been five minutes?"

Perry decided he had to stop Burger. He stood up and called out, "Objection! The witness has already stated that she did not believe that it was more than just a couple minutes. Mister Burger is trying to impeach his own witness."

"Mister Burger, I believe you have made your point. Move on," the judge said.

Hamilton turned around with the smirk on his face as he headed back to the prosecution table. He had succeeded in confusing the witness as to how long she had been away from the window. He believed that he had just proven Lawrence Bradley could have gone out and put the bloody book end in the Cadillac while she was on the phone. He believed he had proven that he had the time and the opportunity. Burger sat down completely satisfied with himself.

Mason stood up. He had to do a little bit of damage control. "Mrs. Renali, Mister Burger has been trying to confuse you as to how long you were on the phone. Tell the court one last time. Were you on the phone more than a minute?"

Feeling more comfortable now that the charming Mister Mason was back, she said with confidence, "No! I simply got rid of the telemarketer and returned to the window. There is no way Mister Bradley had time to place anything into the Cadillac. He didn't go anywhere near it."

Burger stood up. "I move that last statement be stricken from the record as non-responsive."

"So ruled, that last statement will be stricken. Continue, Mister Mason."

"I have no further questions for this witness," Mason said and headed back to the defense table.

"Mister Burger, call your next witness," Judge Donovan ordered.

"The People call Chief Robert Ironside to the stand."

The doors in the back of the room opened and the Sam Francisco detective wheeled his chair to the front of the courtroom.


	18. Chapter 18

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 18

Chief Robert Ironside was sworn in. He did not take a seat in the witness stand, rather he sat beside it in his wheelchair. Hamilton Burger approached his witness. He was debating whether to have Ironside declared hostile. He certainly was not a willing prosecution witness. On the other hand, with his reputation, the judge might resent having a famous police officer called hostile. Burger was aware of Ironside's reputation more than most. He had witnessed it up close on more than one case, including his own trial when he was accused of murdering a defendant that had gotten away with murder. Hamilton had been accused of taking the law into his own hands.

Burger still felt a debt of gratitude toward the man now waiting to be examined. It would not change the way he questioned him though. The detective had information and knowledge that would help the prosecution's case.

Hamilton Burger made his decision. He looked at Ironside, back at Mason and then addressed the bench. "Your Honor, due to the witness being the brother of the defense attorney and the fact that he has been helping him with this case, I would like to have Robert Ironside declared a hostile witness so that I may ask leading questions." There was no doubt this was a long-shot. Ironside was respected country-wide as a witness from the San Francisco police department. However, Hamilton didn't care how respected he was; he had to try. Ironside was not going to give him any information Hamilton did not know about. He would avoid doing so. By asking leading questions, he might be able to force information out of him.

Della Street raised an eyebrow. She knew what was coming. There was no way Perry was going to let that stand without an argument. He loved his brother and was proud of his accomplishments. He was not about to allow Burger to make him out as someone who would try to get around his questions due to being bias. Bob had never withheld information from any court, and he would not now regardless that he was his brother.

Mason shot out of his chair. "I object, Your Honor. We are talking about a police officer with an impeccable record. He has testified in court dozens of times. Not once has he ever been hostile, and he has testified in cases that I have been involved in."

"Your Honor, the two men are brothers. That alone should..."

The judge could see an argument brewing between the two attorneys, and he had no intentions of allowing it to escalate. "Gentlemen, before we have a full-blown argument on our hands, I would appreciate it if you allowed me to rule on the subject. He looked down at Ironside. "Chief, do you feel like you were forced into testifying against your will?"

"Of course not," Ironside replied. "I do so as a member of the San Francisco Police Department on a regular basis."

"Would you have offered to testify had you not been called to do so by the prosecution?" the judge asked.

"Your Honor, I am a busy man. I never offer to testify for any prosecutor. I have never had to. If they feel I have information, they call upon me to testify. If Mister Burger thinks I have information that needs to come out, then so be it. I will testify to what I know."

Perry almost smiled. Burger should have known better than to match wits with his brother. He was going to be on the losing end of the argument. He could see that the judge had just been swayed by Bob's answer.

"Mister Burger, I see no reason to declare this man a hostile witness. I do not detect any hostility in him. He has testified many times for prosecution and defense attorneys alike and has never been hostile to the best of my knowledge. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim that this witness will be belligerent?"

"Well no, Your Honor, not other than he is Mister Mason's brother and has been helping him with this case," Burger remarked.

"Well then, I see no reason to declare him hostile. If his testimony shows him to be hostile, then you may argue again to have him declared so," Judge Donovan ruled.

Burger had expected as much, yet he had to try. He would just have to bring out what he could on examination. Maybe Ironside would testify to something that could lead to more damaging evidence against Lawrence Bradley. He looked Ironside in the eye. "Please tell the court your name and occupation."

"Chief Robert T. Ironside. I am a consultant to the San Francisco Police department."

"And you are the brother of the defense attorney, Perry Mason, are you not?"

Perry looked at Della and shook his head. "Objection. Mister Burger has already established that."

"What's the matter, Mister Mason, do you not want to claim Chief Ironside as your brother?" Burger snapped.

"Your Honor," Mason said, ignoring Hamilton's question.

"Mister Burger, you have made it clear that Chief Ironside is the brother of the defense attorney. I am going..."

Burger interrupted the judge before he had a chance to rule. "I am simply trying to get it into the record to show the bias of the witness."

"It is already in the record, Mister Burger, move on," Judge Leo Donovan ordered. He was clearly upset with the district attorney.

"Alright then. Chief Ironside, you are working on this case with Mister Mason, are you not?"

Perry stood up this time. "Same objection."

"Same ruling, sustained," the judge snapped. "Mister Burger I will not tolerate questions that are intended to embarrass the witness. Start your examination or excuse this witness."

Burger did not seem the least bit rattled by the judge's scolding. He knew that would be the result of his questions. They were intended to upset Robert Ironside to throw him off balance.

"Mister Ironside, do you ... "

"Chief Ironside," Perry called out. He wasn't about to allow Hamilton to demean Bob's job or accomplishments. By calling him Mister, he was attempting to make him look like he was just any other citizen and not that of a decorated police officer.

Burger looked back at Perry, nodded and smiled. "Chief Ironside, do you know the defendant?"

"Not personally, no," Ironside answered.

"But you are acquainted with him, are you not?"

"I am." Ironside offered nothing further. He was going to make Burger work for every answer.

"Where did you first meet the defendant?" Burger said.

"In Gold Strike, California."

"And how did that meeting come about?"

"He came and sat down at the table I was sitting at in the cafe."

Burger waited for Ironside to elaborate, but the detective said nothing further. "And what happened?"

"He asked me to help his daughter," Ironside replied.

"Help his daughter? In what way?"

"He said there was a medical procedure that would get her out of the wheelchair. He wanted me to convince the doctors to do the procedure."

"But you refused, didn't you?" Burger asked.

"I did."

Hamilton knew this was going to happen. This was the reason he had asked to have Ironside declared a hostile witness. The detective was not going to offer a thing. He was going to have to drag every word out of him.

"Why did you refuse to help a little girl in a wheelchair? After all, Chief, you are in one yourself."

Mason was not going to let Hamilton get away with that. "Objection!" Before he could state the reason for his objection, the judge interrupted.

"Sustained! I remind you, Mister Prosecutor, you are questioning a decorated police detective with an impeccable record. I will not have you smearing this man by innuendo. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Honor, my apologies to the court."

"Direct that apology to Chief Ironside, Mister Burger. He is the injured party not me," Donovan directed.

"Then I apologize to Chief Ironside." Burger was obviously angry for being told to apologize to the detective. Apologizing to the court for what the judge considered improper procedure should have been sufficient.

"Chief, why did you refuse Mister Bradley's request to help Amy Bradley?" There, Mason certainly could not object to that question, Burger thought.

"Because there was a television on in the cafe behind him. The news was running a segment that he was wanted by the Los Angeles Police in connection with his wife's murder. I told him I would not help him until he turned himself in."

"And what was his reaction to that?"

Ironside did not hesitate even though he knew it was going to hurt Perry's case. "He pulled a gun on me and took me prisoner until I agreed to help her."

"And where did he take you?"

"To a cabin in the mountains belonging to Charles Huff."

"And you were held there against your will?"

"Yes."

"And Charles Huff was also held there against his will?"

"You will have to ask him that," Ironside said.

"But to your knowledge, Charles Huff did not invite him to stay there, now did he?"

"Not to my knowledge," Ironside said.

"You were not treated well, were you Mister Ironside?" Burger said.

"Chief Ironside," Perry called out without looking up from his paperwork.

Hamilton glanced back at Mason, returned his attention to the detective and said, "Chief Ironside, you were not treated well, were you?"

"He did not harm me in any way, so I would have to say he did not mistreat me."

Burger acted surprised. "Wasn't Charles Huff shot while being held against his will?"

"He was shot," Ironside confirmed.

"While you were trying to escape, he was shot. He inflicted a gunshot wound on the man being held with you."

"Objection, Your Honor," Perry called out. "Mister Burger is leading the witness."

"I am doing no such thing," Burger responded angrily.

"Then you are testifying for him. Chief Ironside said nothing of an escape," Perry pointed out.

"The objection is sustained," Judge Donovan ruled.

"Oh alright," Burger complained. "Did you and Charles Huff try to escape?"

"We did." Ironside answered.

Burger waited, but Ironside said nothing further. "Your Honor, I renew my request that this witness be declared a hostile witness. He is not being responsive."

Perry stood up and walked toward the bench. "I would object to that. Chief Ironside has answered every question that Mister Burger has put forth. He has been in no way non-responsive."

"He is answering with as few words as possible," Burger exclaimed with exasperation.

"May I suggest that you ask your questions in such a way that requires more than a yes or no answer," the judge said. "I see no hostility in this witness's testimony. He is conducting himself in a professional manner. This court will not declare him hostile."

Burger was so upset that it was showing in his manner. He had hope to rattle Ironside, but the truth was the detective had succeeded in doing just that to him.

"Tell this court in what room you were being held, how it came about that you tried to escape and what happened when you did." Burger looked back at Mason smugly. The defense attorney's facial expression never changed. Burger could not tell if the way he asked this question had any effect on him at all.

"We were being held in one of the bedrooms of the house. Charles Huff and I worked out a plan for me to shine flashlights in Mister Bradley's eyes, blinding him to give Mister Huff the opportunity to overtake him."

"Did it work?"

"No."

"Why didn't he just turn on the lights?"

"Because he had cut the power to that bedroom," Ironside said.

"Because he had discovered that you had once used electricity in that very room to escape when you were held prisoner there by Charles Huff ... "

"Objection! Leading the witness," Mason called out, interrupting Burger.

"Sustained!" Leo Donovan ruled.

Hamilton huffed a bit, perturbed with the judge. Mason had not even given him the chance to add Is that right? to the end of his statement to make it into a form of a question. "You had been in that room before, Chief, had you not?"

"Yes."

"And you were held prisoner in that room, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"What were the circumstances surrounding that captivity?" Burger asked.

Perry Mason stood up. "Your Honor, I must object to this line of questioning. The event that Mister Burger has been referring to has absolutely nothing to do with the current case."

"Quite the contrary, Your Honor. Chief Ironside stated that they used flashlights to shine in the defendant's eyes. The prosecution has the right to explore why there were no lights as they apparently played a role in the shooting that resulted," Burger argued. "It goes to the obsession of the defendant where his daughter is concerned.

Judge Leo Donovan thought for a moment and then ruled in Burger's favor. "Overruled. I do believe the prosecution has the right to pursue this line of questioning. Continue, Mister Burger."

"Chief?"

"The man who owned the property where I had been invited was Ore Franklin. He was not there when I arrived. I discovered a grave on his property. It later turned out to be Ore Franklin that had been buried in the grave by George Huff and the sheriff. After I sent my aide, Mark Sanger to bring the sheriff, Charles Huff and his son George showed up. They took me prisoner and held me in Mister Huff's house."

"In the same bedroom that the defendant had placed you and Charles Huff in?" Burger said.

"That is correct," Ironside confirmed.

"Now, getting back to your attempted escape. Why were the lights cut off in the bedroom the two of you were in?"

"Because when I had been held there before, I had escaped through the window before being caught and returned there. Later I was able to overtake Charles Huff. I used the electricity against the sheriff when he came back."

"In other words, the defendant was aware of that and cut the power to the bedroom?"

"Objection," Mason called out. "The witness could not possibly know what the defendant knew about that event.

"Sustained," Donovan returned.

"Tell the court how the shooting came about."

"When Lawrence Bradley came into the room, I pointed the flashlights in his eyes. Charles Huff attempted to overtake him. The gun went off and Mister Huff had been shot in the shoulder."

"So the defendant showed his tendency towards violence even then?" Burger asked.

"It was an accident. He did not intentionally shoot the gun," Ironside said.

"But he did use it to control you?"

"Yes."

"You did escape from the defendant, did you not?"

"We did, yes."

"And how did you escape from him?" Burger pressed.

"Amy Bradley unlocked the bedroom door in the middle of the night and let us out."

"Where did you go?

"To the cabin that used to belong to Ore Franklin."

"Where the police came and captured the defendant?"

"No, that is not correct," Ironside disagreed.

"They did arrest him, did they not?" Hamilton Burger demanded.

"They did, but after he ... "

He looked back at Mason and said, "Your witness."

Perry stood up and approached his older brother. "Chief Ironside, did the defendant state why he was holding you?"

"Yes, he wanted me to help his daughter get the experimental surgery."

"I see. And of course you told him that you would not help him until he turned himself in," Mason stated.

From his seat at the prosecutor's table, Hamilton called out, "Objection, counsel is leading the witness."

Perry turned around and frowned. "Actually, Mister Burger, I am simply stating what the witness has already testified to while you were questioning him."

The judge smiled. These two men had been courtroom adversaries for years. So far Mason had gotten the better of Burger in every case. The fact that Burger was eager to beat the famous attorney was well-known. However, in his courtroom, he was not about to allow personalities. He would put a stop to any argument before it turned into a major battle between them. He understood Burger's frustration with Mason, but the fact was Perry Mason had not only proven his clients to be innocent, he usually turned up the guilty party for the police and prosecution.

"Objection overruled. Mister Mason is indeed stating testimony that this witness has testified directly to you, Mister Burger. You may continue, Mister Mason."

"Chief, was Lawrence Bradley captured as Mister Burger would have you believe or did he surrender himself to the authorities?"

"When he caught up with Mister Huff and me, he told us his daughter convinced him what he was doing was wrong and that he needed to surrender to me. That is exactly what he did. He surrendered to me before the authorities got there."

"Chief Ironside, you did not file a complaint charging the defendant with kidnapping, why was that?"

"I don't believe he meant either Mister Huff or myself any harm. He is just a father trying to do what he thought was best for his daughter. He was wrong and misguided, but he meant no harm to either of us."

"Did he mention the murder of his wife?" Mason asked.

"He did. He insisted several times that he did not kill her."

"Just for the record, did I ask you to join in the investigation of this case?" Mason asked.

"No, you did not."

"Would you tell the court why you decided to help the defendant please?"

"Because Amy Bradley said her father was not guilty and asked me if I would help him."

"Thank you, Chief Ironside, that will be all." Mason headed back to the defense table.

Della reached behind Lawrence Bradley to touch Perry's arm. She whispered to him, "I am proud of you, Perry."

Confused, he asked, "Proud? What did I do?"

"I expected you to try to discredit Robert's testimony and you didn't," Della said.

"I didn't have to. With the questions Hamilton asked him, and the way Bob answered them, he helped our cause more than he did Hamilton's. Just look at him, Della. Burger knows it."

Della looked over at Hamilton Burger. He did look rather dejected. Perry was right. The proof was in the look on Hamilton Burger's face. He should have known better than to try and get the better of Robert Ironside. He had testified in court so many times over the years, he probably new all the traps that district attorneys set for witnesses. He had subpoenaed Robert figuring his testimony would be extremely damaging to the defense, when in reality it had actually helped.

What Lawrence Bradley did was wrong. Burger allowed Ironside to prove that he had come to regret what he had done, and did indeed turn himself in. That put a bit of a damper on "flight is an indication of guilt." Ironside basically had stated that Bradley's reason for leaving Los Angeles had nothing to do with his wife's murder, but had everything to do with trying to get help for his daughter.

"Mister Burger, call your next witness," Judge Donovan ordered.

"The People call Charles Huff to the stand," Burger responded.

Charles Huff came forward. As he passed the defense, he nodded at Lawrence Bradley. Huff was sworn in and sat down in the witness stand.

Paul Drake was frustrated. He had spent the entire morning attempting to find out what had been in that envelope that had been stuck in the book in Lawrence Bradley's study. So far he had hit a brick wall. There was nothing on the records at city hall that would indicate that it was something that had been filed with the courts.

He knew this was extremely important to Perry and his brother. He was at a loss as to how to find out what was in that damn envelope. Why couldn't Lawrence Bradley be like anyone else and have allowed his curiosity to get the better of him? If he had just looked in that blasted envelope, they would all know what its contents were. It had to be something in his favor or the culprit would not have removed it to begin with.

The only people that would have had access to Lawrence Bradley's study were his now deceased wife, Karen and Jill Bradley, the sister of the defendant. Something about that woman did not sit well with Paul. Both Perry and Ironside had taken an immediate distrust of the woman. She cared only for the money that she could get her hands on. Poor little Amy meant nothing to her. She only saw dollar signs when she looked at her. He did not want to see the girl end up in Jill Bradley's custody anymore than Perry or Ironside. He had to find out what was in that envelope.

The most logical explanation was that there was money involved. Who would be greedy enough to go after that money? That was easy, Jill Bradley and Karen Bradley. Karen did not want to spend any of the remaining money on Amy. She wanted it spent on material things, if what Lawrence Bradley said was true. Jill Bradley had already proven to be a greedy, money-grubbing woman, who was only concerned about getting as much out of Amy's money as she could.

Paul decided to go back to the scene of the crime. Perry had made sure that Lawrence Bradley had authorized his team to enter at will. Drake decided he was going to search until he found something that would give him a clue as to what was in that envelope. He headed for the Bradley residence. Crooks were never perfect. They always left something that did them in. Perry had proven that over and over. It was his deductive ability that always help solve his cases. He wondered why the man even employed a private detective. He was as good as any private detective around. Perry was always the one in the end that solved the murder in the first place. Besides the fees he charged his clients, he should have collected the salaries of Lieutenant Tragg and Hamilton Burger as far as Paul was concerned. For once he would like to be the one that found the entire solution to the murder and not Perry. Paul knew that what he did for Mason was important. He had come up with evidence that helped Perry crack cases time and again. Yet, he had to admit it was Mason that untangled all the clues to come up with an answer.

As he pulled up to the Bradley home, he sighed. There in the driveway was the van that Perry had rented for Robert Ironside. Wasn't the chief supposed to be in court testifying today? What was he doing here? The private eye knew the answer without having to ask the San Francisco detective. His testimony was finished and Ironside had the same idea he had. He too figured there was something in that study that would lead to the answers they needed regarding the envelope.

As Paul headed up the sidewalk to the front door, he glanced up at the sky. It was threatening rain. It was completely cloudy and he had seen those type of clouds to know that they were going to drop a ton of rain on them soon. The sky had a dark anger about it that had Paul convinced the weather could turn any minute now.

He did not bother to use the key Perry had given him as he knew the door would not be locked with Ironside inside. He opened the door and headed for the Bradley's study. Standing in the doorway, he saw Ironside. His back was to him. He had a book in his lap. It seemed to be a ledger of some kind.

Without even looking to see who had entered the house, Ironside barked, "Well don't just stand there, Mister Drake, start looking for a clue to that envelope."

Paul smiled. He walked over to the detective in the wheelchair. "So it's true."

"What's true?" Ironside said without even looking up.

"You have eyes in the back of your head," Paul said, amused.

"It doesn't take eyes in the back of my head to know that was you. If you were any kind of detective at all, you would end up here. It was simple deduction because," he said, "you are a good detective. It had to be you."

"Thanks, Chief. I will try to live up to that. What are you looking at?" Paul stood behind Ironside, looking over his shoulder.

"It's a ledger of all the money spent on Amy by the Bradley's. Most of it is in Lawrence Bradley's handwriting, but there are a few entries that I assume are in Karen Bradley's handwriting. Do we have an example of her handwriting?" Ironside asked.

"We do. I have seen it often enough. Let me see."

Ironside handed him the ledger. Turning his chair to face Drake, he waited for him to check the handwriting in the ledger. After a moment, Paul said. "The entries that were clearly not made by Lawrence Bradley's signature are Karen's, except these two. He turned the ledger around and handed it back to Ironside, pointing at the entries in question.

"We need to find out whose they belong to," Ironside said. "Have you ever heard of the Thurman Consulting Firm?"

"No, I haven't, but it should be easy to find out where it is and what they consult." Paul's eyes lit up. "Wait a minute! That firm name was in a note on Karen Bradley's desk when I was there!"

"Are you sure?" Ironside asked.

"Pretty sure." Paul reached for the phone. He dialed information and asked for the number for the Thurman Consulting Firm. "Thank you, and do you have the address?" He pulled a small notebook out of his pocket and wrote down the address. He handed it to Ironside.

"Carney Street. Where is that?" Ironside asked.

"I know where it is?" Paul assured him. "Want to come along while I check it out."

"You will find that it is tied to Jason Thorsen," Ironside said.

Paul was stunned. How could he possibly know that without at least checking it out. "What makes you say that."

"Because, Mister Drake it is all beginning to fall into place. I believe I know who murdered Karen Bradley. Proving it is not going to be easy. Come on, let's go.

Author's Notes: I am sorry it has taken so long to publish this chapter. On Aug 10th my elderly mother (92 years old) had taken ill and was hospitalized. Since then, she had only gotten worse. I tried to keep up with the chapters despite spending every available minute with her. She died October 28th and I just did not feel like doing anything. My mother and I were very close. I decided that the best medicine was to get back to writing as it is what she would have wanted me to do. I only regret that she was never able to finish reading the four fanfictions I have going at the moment.

Kathleen

(Kaleen1212)


	19. Chapter 19

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 19

Charles Huff sat in the witness stand. He watched as Hamilton Burger approached him. Having heard much about the Los Angeles district attorney, he expected he would try to declare him a hostile witness. Instead Burger simply began his questioning.

"Mister Huff, have you ever had any contact with the defendant, Lawrence Bradley?" Burger asked.

"Yes, I have." He said no more as he had been told to only answer questions and offer nothing. Hamilton Burger did not want him adding anything to his testimony that would help Bradley in anyway. Huff, on the other hand, had no desire to help the district attorney, so not offering any additional information went both ways.

"Tell the court just exactly how you met the defendant," Hamilton requested.

"He showed up at my house with a gun and demanded that I let him in."

"And you did so?"

Huff had to keep from rolling his eyes. "Of course I did. Do you think I just ignored that gun in my face?"

Burger turned to the judge. Before he could say anything, Judge Leo Donovan admonished the witness. "Mister Huff, you will answer the district attorney's questions and nothing more. Is that clear?"

Huff turned his head toward the judge. "Yes, Your Honor. Sorry."

Burger was unaffected by Huff's remarks. He continued his questioning. "After demanding by gunpoint that you let him in, what happened?"

"He locked me in one of the bedrooms in the house."

"Did he tell you why he was doing it?"

"I think he wanted..."

"Objection," Mason called out. Before he could state the reason for his objection the judge ruled.

"Sustained."

Burger did not bother to look back at Mason. He knew that what Huff thought was irrelevant. "Mister Huff, the court is not interested in what you thought, it is only interested in facts. Is that clear?"

"It is now," he said.

"Did the defendant state why he was holding you prisoner?"

"No."

Burger went on to question Huff along the same lines that he had Ironside, receiving the same answers. His intent was the same as it was with the San Francisco detective, to prove Bradley was violent and therefore was capable of murder.

Burger completed his examination without any further objections from Mason. He turned to the defense attorney and said, "Your witness."

Perry Mason walked directly to the witness and placed both hands on the stand. Looking into Charles Huff's eyes, he asked, "Mister Huff, you refused to file a complaint against the defendant. Can you tell this court why that is?"

"Because I don't believe the defendant actually would have harmed us. He was trying to do what was best for his little girl. I understand he went about it the wrong way, but his heart was with his daughter."

Mason looked back at Hamilton Burger. "How can you say you did not believe that he was going to harm you when you were shot by him?" Mason would not have ordinarily asked a question like this, but he already knew the answer.

"That was an accident, Mister Mason. He did not deliberately shoot me. It happened in the scuffle over the gun."

"Still, the defendant pointed a gun at you, did he not?"

"He did indeed."

"Yet you do not believe that he would have used that gun?"

"No sir, I do not. That is the reason I refuse to file a complaint against him."

"Were you otherwise treated well?" Mason inquired.

"Yes, he made sure we had food, bathroom breaks and a comfortable place to sleep."

Mason smiled at the witness. Before leaving the stand, he said, "Thank you, no more questions."

"Call your next witness, Mister Burger." Judge Donovan called out.

Hamilton stood up, looked back at his next witness seated in the courtroom and said, "The prosecution calls Jill Bradley."

*

Robert Ironside and Paul Drake walked into the office of Jason Thorsen. Both men could not believe how lavish the outer office was. Neither one knew art that well, but the paintings that were on the wall look to both of them is if they could be worth a lot of money.

The furniture was all leather, and not inexpensive leather either. There was no doubt that the waiting room furniture cost thousands of dollars on its own. The receptionist desk was solid cherry. Cherry furniture had been the rage a few years earlier. It had depleted the supply of cherry trees. Growing new cherry trees would take many years as they grew slowly. Since finding solid cherry was next to impossible, it told both detectives that the desk, hutch and bookcases behind it also cost thousands of dollars.

Jason Thorsen was not the listed owner of the business. It was listed as owned by Karen Fusee. Since the first name was obvious, Ironside had Paul Drake check into Karen's maiden name. As it turned out, it was Fusee.

Further checking showed that the business invested in real estate property. Through his office, Ironside was able to get a court order to look at the business interest. The two detectives had discovered that large sums of money were being invested in different business projects in and out of the city of Los Angeles.

"Where do you suppose they are getting the money?" Drake asked.

"We don't know at this point, but if I were to venture a guess, I am betting it has something to do with whatever was in that missing envelope," Ironside surmised. "As soon as Perry gets out of court, we need to bring him up to date on this."

"In the meantime, I think we should have another talk with Mister Thorsen," Paul suggested.

"I don't think so. Not at this point. I want to talk to Perry first. We'll talk to Mister Thorsen later. Let's get out of here. I don't want to tip Perry's hand."

"Chief, we are already here. As soon as the secretary says that a man in a wheelchair was in the office, Thorsen is going to know you were here."

"I'm aware of that, Paul. However, he is not going to know why I was here. So let's go."

Drake stepped behind Ironside's wheelchair and began pushing him towards the door.

When the secretary noticed they were leaving, she called out after them, "I am sorry for the wait gentleman. If you will have a seat, it will only be a few more minutes before Mister Thorsen can see clients."

Ironside decided this was a perfect opportunity to cover up for the reason they were there. "Thank you, but we discovered we are in the wrong office. We are supposed to be in the one next door."

The secretary smiled. "Oh, in that case, have a nice day." She immediately looked away from them and back to her paperwork.

"Smart move, Chief," Drake said. "There's a good chance she will not even mention our presence here."

Ironside looked over his shoulder at Drake. "That was the reason for doing it."

Paul pushed the detective out of the office and they headed back for the vehicle.

*

Jill Bradley passed Perry Mason's table. Della noticed the scowl on her face when she glanced over at the lawyer. She smiled as Perry did not even look up at her as she went by. Although she knew he was well aware of the scowl sent his way, he wasn't about to let Bradley know that he knew.

After being sworn in, Hamilton Burger checked his notes and then walked over to Jill Bradley. "Miss Bradley, you are the sister of the defendant, is that correct.

"Unfortunately, yes," she replied. She displayed plenty of attitude to the district attorney's question.

Mason was not about to allow her to grandstand against her brother. "Your Honor, I object."

Once again, the judge did not give Mason the chance to state the reason for the objection. "The objection is sustained." He turned to the witness and said sternly, "Miss Bradley, you are instructed to answer the district attorney's questions. You are not to add anything else, is that clear?"

"I did answer his question," she snapped at the judge.

"Miss Bradley, this court will not tolerate any disrespect. You will answer the questions and leave out the sarcasm, or I will hold you in contempt of court."

Jill Bradley said nothing further. She gave the judge a slight nod.

Burger had been concerned that she would be hard to control on the stand, but could not resist calling her as a witness. She would be very damaging to Mason's client. "Now, Miss Bradley, were you close to your sister-in-law?"

"Yes, very close. Much closer to her then to my brother." She looked at the judge. "Is that a problem saying that?" Her tone had changed completely. She turned on the charm as easily as one would turn on a faucet.

Donovan smiled. "No, that is fine."

Despite the judge's reaction to her questioning what she added, Burger worried that the sudden change to her personality would come across as phony. "Miss Bradley, did you observe the Bradley marriage up close?"

"I did."

"And would you consider it to have been a good marriage?"

"Objection!" Mason said, standing up. "Calls for a conclusion, improper opinion."

"Your Honor, it goes to motive," Burger said immediately.

"Overruled, but I will strike the answer if you do not show motive."

Burger nodded at the judge. "Fair enough." Looking back at his witness, he repeated the question.

"No, it was not a good marriage."

"How so?"

"They fought all the time over Amy," she answered.

"Because the defendant kept trying to find a doctor that would do surgery to try to make her walk?"

"Objection! The district attorney is leading the witness," Perry complained.

"The objection is sustained," the judge said as quickly as Mason had objected.

"Sorry, Your Honor." Burger then returned to his witness. "Miss Bradley, do you know what the friction was between the defendant and his wife?"

"Yes, Larry was constantly consulting doctors. He wanted to find a doctor that would get Amy out of her wheelchair."

"You mean to find a way to allow her to walk again?" Burger asked to clarify.

"That is correct, well at least mostly correct. She has never been able to walk in the first place."

"How did Mrs. Bradley react to that?"

"She decided to file for divorce. I went with her to a divorce attorney. She was going to ask for full custody of Amy so that the child would not be subject to constant disappointment."

"I see. Then she was doing it out of love for Amy Bradley?"

"Yes, very much so. She dearly loved that little girl," Jill Bradley said sweetly.

"Do you know if Lawrence Bradley knew of the divorce?"

"Oh absolutely. You see, Karen always kept a list of things that she had to do. On her list was to tell Larry she filed for divorce. She had written the word done on the list. Later, she told me that she had told Larry."

"Did she say how he had reacted?" Burger asked.

"Your Honor, I must object," Mason said. "This is all hearsay."

"Overruled," the judge said, turning his attention back to Jill Bradley.

Perry watched as Bradley looked straight at him. She had a smirk on her face. She was going to do her best to help convict her brother, Mason knew that. She wanted custody of Amy to gain control of her trust fund. The lawyer had no doubt she would say anything to see to it that Lawrence Bradley went to prison. Mason was certain she would even lie under oath to obtain that objective.

"Miss Bradley?" Burger nudged his witness.

"Karen said he threatened her."

"Threatened her how?"

"He told her she would never live to see the day that she would take Amy away from him."

The courtroom broke out in low murmurs before the judge silenced them with his gavel.

Burger turned around to look at Mason. With a smile, he told him, "Your witness, Counselor."

Perry stood up and approached Jill Bradley. He placed both hands on the stand and leaned in toward her. Bradley gave a disgusted snort. "Have you ever heard of personal body space, Mason?" The courtroom broke out in laughter.

Mason looked up to the bench. The judge nodded. "I know, Mister Mason. Miss Bradley, you have been warned. If you disrespect this court again, I will hold you in contempt."

"I wasn't disrespecting the court, Your Honor, I was disrespecting Mason." Again, the courtroom broke out in laughter.

The judge shook his head. "That is Mister Mason and you will not disrespect him either. Is that clear?"

"I guess so," she said.

"Mister Mason, please begin your cross-examination."

"Thank you, Your Honor. He turned to Jill Bradley and leaned in closer to her, since she already displayed that it rattled her. She sat back away from him in the witness stand. "Miss Bradley, are you aware that there is a two-hundred-fifty-thousand-dollar trust fund that Amy's grandfather left her upon his death?"

"Yeah, I was aware of it, so what," she said, losing a bit of her composure.

"Isn't it true that you encouraged Karen Bradley to get a divorce in order to try to gain control of the trust fund?" Mason demanded.

"Of course not. Larry was obsessed with getting Amy out of the chair. That is why she filed for divorce."

"Isn't it true that you filed in court for custody of Amy after Lawrence Bradley was arrested?"

"I don't see anything wrong with that. I am her only relative. She belongs with me."

"But Amy told the judge that she did not want to stay with you, did she not?"

Her face showed her dislike for the attorney. "Well, of course she did after you and that crippled detective talked her into staying with him."

Mason looked up at the judge who immediately said to Jill Bradley, "Miss Bradley, that detective is Chief Robert Ironside, an officer with an impeccable record. You will not disrespect him in this courtroom."

"Is there anyone I can disrespect?" she said sarcastically.

"Miss Bradley, you are in contempt of court. Maybe a night in jail will curb your sarcasm."

"But, Your Honor, I have plans for tonight."

"Not now you don't, and unless you want to spend more than one night in jail, I suggest you change your behavior."

She looked away from the judge. Her face turned red with anger. As far as she was concerned, this was all Mason's fault. He was getting her in trouble. Well, she would show him! Everything she said from here on out was going to crush her brother.

"Mister Mason, you may continue your cross-examination. Judge Donovan watched Jill Bradley closely. He was not going to put up with any more from her. With her attitude, he would gladly give her a few more days sitting in jail.

"Miss Bradley, why would you file for temporary custody of Amy when you know she does not want to be with you?"

"She belongs with a family member, not you and ..." she hesitated before continuing. She glanced over at the judge and then made every attempt to control the tone in her voice. Although she did not completely succeed, the judge did not say anything. "Chief Ironside." Still, her voice was dripping with contempt.

Mason walked over to the defense table and brought back a sheet of paper. He set it down on the witness stand in front of Jill Bradley. "Will you tell the court what this paper is?"

Bradley pick the paper up and read it. She could not believe it! The son of a bitch was trying to make her look bad. She said nothing which prompted the lawyer to speak up.

"Miss Bradley, tell the court what the paper is," Mason demanded.

"Answer counsel's question," the judge ordered.

"It is a petition to the court to remove Amy from Karen and Larry's custody."

"And whose signature is on the petition?"

"You know whose signature is on it, Mason," she snarled.

"That is Mister Mason," Judge Donovan snapped. "You just added another day to your contempt of court. Now I suggest you answer Mister Mason unless you want another day added."

"It is my signature," she snapped.

"And why were you going to file this petition?"

"Because neither one of them are capable of raising Amy. He is obsessed with getting her out of a wheelchair that she never will, and Karen hated the child. She only used her against Larry."

"But a few minutes ago you said that Karen Bradley dearly love the child?"

"Well ... she does."

"Which is it, Miss Bradley? Did she dearly love the child or did she hate the her?" Mason demanded in his famous courtroom voice.

"She hated the brat."

"Then you lied when you said she loved her dearly, did you not?" Mason pushed the witness. "Was that for the purpose of trying to get back at the defendant because he wanted the child to be placed with Chief Ironsdide?

"No, I didn't lie!"

"No? What would you call it?"

"I made a mistake."

"A mistake? When you make a mistake of that nature on the stand, it is called a lie."

"I didn't lie!" she shouted at Mason.

Mason left it at that. She had lied and no amount of denying it would change that. "Isn't it true, Miss Bradley, that the real reason is you wanted control of the trust account?" Mason thundered.

"No, it is not true at all!" she shouted.

"Isn't it also true, when you lost temporary custody to Robert Ironside, that you ask the judge to give you control of the trust account?"

"Yes, but the reason I did that was I believe it should have remained in the family and not with a total stranger. For all I know he would spend the entire trust fund."

"Isn't the real reason is that you just wanted control over the money?"

"No!"

Mason had completed his questioning, but he wanted to make sure that he could call this witness later on if need be. "I am finished with this witness, but I would like to reserve the right to recall her."

"Granted," Donovan said. "You may step down. Bailiff, take Miss Bradley into custody so that she can start serving her contempt of court sentence. Mister District Attorney, I would suggest you investigate whether or not this witness should be charged with perjury."

Burger was upset with himself. He should have known Perry would tear her apart on the stand. She could not hide her animosity for Mason. He purposely kept after her on the trust fund as he knew that was where she was weak. Hamilton had to admit he did not know about Jill Bradley filing a petition for custody of Amy. Perry had blind sided him on that.

"Yes, Your Honor," Burger acknowledged.

Jill Bradley was led away by the bailiff, but not before she turned and gave Perry Mason a murderous look. The lawyer never changed the expression on his face. He was used to those kind of looks from people he went after on the witness stand.

Della Street leaned over and whispered to Perry, "How did you know about the petition? You never mentioned it."

Mason smiled. "It was just a hunch. Jill Bradley doesn't care two cents about what happens to Amy. She just wants to get her hands on the trust fund. I decided to check court filings before we came in for this session. I hit the jackpot." He grinned at Della.

Hamilton Burger stood up and addressed the court. "Your Honor, I believe we have shown that there was a murder committed; that the defendant had motive; that the defendant had a violent temperament; and that the defendant had opportunity; and finally that the defendant's fingerprints were on the murder weapon and the video showed his initialed cuff-links as the killing was being done. We request that the defendant, Lawrence Bradley be bound over on the charge of murder in the first degree."

Judge Donovan turned his attention to the famous defense attorney. "Mister Mason, do you intend to put on a defense?

"I do indeed, Your Honor."

"Since it is approaching the hour of adjournment, we will continue at ten o'clock tomorrow morning." Donovan banged his gavel and stood up to leave the courtroom. Everyone rose to their feet as was tradition when a judge exited.

"Let's go find out what Bob and Paul have found out today," Mason said to Della.

"I just have one question, Counselor."

Mason smiled. He had a pretty good idea what that question was as he was also hungry.

"Are you going to feed me now or do I have to wait until midnight?" Della said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"I have no doubt that Paul will be hungry, he always is. Bob does not exactly look like he misses too many meals. I think I can arrange to feed you before midnight."

"I also would like to know ...?

Before she could finish your question, Perry interrupted her. "You said one question, Miss Street." The grin reappeared on his face.

"Well I have another one. Are we going to get any time alone this evening at all?"

He looked down into her hazel eyes. Whispering so that no one else heard him, he said, "I will see what I can arrange."

Della smiled and began gathering his papers. Placing them in his briefcase, she closed it. Mason picked it up, spoke momentarily to his client and led Della out of the courtroom.

*

Perry and Della walked into his law office. Gertie was upset and flustered. The lawyer had a pretty good idea what her concern was. "Chief Ironside is in my office, isn't he?"

"I am sorry, Mister Mason, he just would not wait in the lobby. I asked him to wait here, but he just refused to do it. He went right past me into your office."

Della smiled. "It is alright, Gertie. When Chief Ironside comes in, send him directly into Mister Mason's office unless he is with a client."

Relief showed on Gertie's face. Perry almost laughed. Bob had a way of taking over everywhere he went. He and Della passed through her office. The lawyer opened his office door and allowed Della to enter in front of him. Sitting behind his desk, Robert Ironside was going over the papers in front of him. Mason's executive chair had been pushed aside to allow room for his brother's wheelchair.

"Make yourself at home, Bob," Perry said with a smile.

Ironside ignored the remark. "What happened in court?"

"Jill Bradley tried to hang her brother," Della said.

"That doesn't surprise me," Ironside said. "I trust you gave her a lesson in humility?"

"Perry made it look like she was just after Amy's trust fund," Della said.

"That should not have been difficult," Ironside grunted, "since she is after the trust fund.

Mason looked around. "Where's Paul?"

"Checking on a hunch."

"What hunch?" Mason asked.

"We found out today there were two entries in Bradley's ledger that were not in Karen or Lawrence Bradley's handwriting," Ironside told him.

"Do we know whose handwriting it is?" Perry asked his brother.

"Paul is checking on that now, but I have a pretty good idea who wrote those entries." Ironside handed Perry the ledger book.

"They clearly do not match Karen or Lawrence's handwriting," Della said, looking over Perry's shoulder.

"No they don't," Ironside agreed. "Paul is checking to see if the handwriting belongs to ... "

"Jason Thorsen," Perry finished for him.

"That's right," Ironside confirmed.

"Bob, have we checked the possibility that Karen Bradley was having an affair with Jason Thorsen?"

Della was confused by Perry's suggestion. "But I thought we have proof that Jill Bradley was the one having an affair with Thorsen."

"She was, we know that, Della," Perry said, "but it looks like Jason Thorsen was having an affair with both of them. He must have found out what was in the envelope that Karen Bradley took."

"How do we know she took it?" Della asked.

"She would have known it was there," Ironside replied. "I doubt that Jill Bradley knew about it. No, Karen Bradley took it. Whatever was in that envelope led to a large sum of money."

"Okay, I buy that," Della said. "What I don't understand was how Jill Bradley fits into the picture. If Thorsen was able to get access to a large sum of money, then what did he need Jill Bradley for."

"She could be the woman Thorsen is in love with. It may have been her idea that Thorsen romance Karen in order to get access to the trust fund. Thorsen could have then discovered what was in that envelope," Perry suggested.

"Or Jill Bradley found out that Thorsen was sleeping with Karen, and killed her out of jealousy," Ironside countered.

"I think it is about time we find out," Mason said.

"I agree." Ironside thought about the envelope. That particular part of the case was bothering him. "Perry, there are very few things that could have been in that envelope that would lead to the sums of money that Thorsen was investing."

Perry, puzzled by his brother's remark, sat down on the edge of his desk. "What large sums of money?"

"We found that Jason Thorsen is running a consulting business whose listed owner was Karen Fusee, which happens to be Karen Bradley's maiden name."

"Sounds like your theory that Karen Bradley was having an affair is becoming probable, Perry," Della told him.

"What kind of consulting business?" Mason asked.

"Real estate. He has been investing large sums in projects in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. He is also investing for other companies." Ironside handed Mason a list of the investments.

"This does limit what could have been in that envelope. There must be another trust account." Mason continued to look down the list.

"I don't think so," Ironside disagreed.

"Then what do you think was in the envelope?" Mason asked.

"Either certificate of deposits, securities or something of that sort," Ironside suggested.

"But wouldn't Bradley's father put them in Lawrence Bradley's name? I doubt that he would have put it in his daughter-in-law's name," Della wondered.

"You are right, Della. So where does that leave us?" Mason looked at his brother. "Are you thinking what I am thinking?"

"A key to a safety deposit box," Ironside said.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Mason agreed.

"But how could we ever discover what bank and what box?" Della said.

"The book, Della," Mason said with a grin.

"You mean the one that envelope was in? How could that help?"

Mason looked at his brother. "Do you want to tell her, Bob?"

"The envelope was in that book a long time, pressed between the pages," Ironside began.

"And there could be an impression on the pages it was stuck between," Della said with a smile.

"That's right, Della, and we are going to find out right now. Bob, do you want to go back to Bradley's study again?"

"Of course I do," Ironside said with a grin.

Paul Drake's code knock sounded on the door. Della walked over and opened it. Paul smiled down at her. "Hello, Beautiful."

"Hello, Paul," Della said, returning the greeting.

"Chief, you were right. Those two entries in the ledger belonged to Jason Thorsen. I was able to get a copy of his signature from one of his books that had been autographed."

"Good work, Paul," Perry said.

"That is not all I found out." Drake was grinning.

"You found out that Karen Bradley was having an affair with Jason Thorsen," Ironside surmised.

Drake's face dropped. "How did you know that?"

"Simple deduction, Mister Drake," Ironside quipped. "How did you find out?"

Paul referred to the notes in his small notebook. "It seems that picture in Karen's office is a picture of Jay Morganstein, alias Jason Thorsen."

"But Helen Denali said that was not the man that she saw with Karen Bradley," Della pointed out.

"Oh, but it was, Della," Paul corrected. "It is a picture taken about six years ago. When Thorsen left the medical field, he decided to try his hand at ..."

"Acting," Perry finished for him.

"That's right. He is made up in that picture for the part he was cast in a play that lasted only three nights before being cancelled. Since Lawrence Bradley never went to his wife's office, she was pretty safe putting it on her desk. No one would have recognized him in that photo."

"So we were right, Jason Thorsen was having an affair with both Karen and Jill," Perry said.

"Of course we were right, it was the only logical conclusion with the facts we have," Ironside grumbled.

"That means that Jill Bradley had a motive," Della said.

"She wasn't the only one. Thorsen could have killed her figuring he could control Jill," Paul said.

"Or they could have planned it together," Perry offered.

"There is a flaw in this theory," Della pointed out. "With the Thurman Consulting Company in the name of Karen Fusee, wouldn't Thorsen lose control of the money upon her death?"

"That's a good point, Della," Mason agreed.

"Not if there was a legal agreement that if something happened to her, the money and the company would be left to Jason Thorsen," Paul said.

Mason and Ironside looked at Drake. "Was there?" Perry asked.

Drake reached into his pocket and pulled out a legal document and gave it to Perry. Mason read it over and then told them, "This would do exactly that. The only exclusions would be if she died of murder or suicide. Then Jason Thorsen would have to be cleared of any possible involvemet."

"Which if Lawrence Bradley is convicted of the murder, Thorsen would be completely in the clear with all the money and the company," Ironside said.

"If the money that he is using in the company is actually tied to whatever was in that envelope," Della reminded everyone.

"Well then, I think we better find out," Ironside said.

"Let's go get that book, Bob," Mason said, heading for the door. Paul pulled Ironside's chair from behind the desk and followed Perry and Della.

Della smiled up at Perry. "I thought you were going to feed me before midnight." Mason grinned as they left the office.


	20. Chapter 20

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 20

After dropping Della off at the Masons, Paul pulled the van in front of Lawrence Bradley's house. Perry got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and waited for the lift to lower Robert Ironside to the ground. Both men met Ironside as the flap fell forward and the detective wheeled off the lift. As Perry stepped behind the wheelchair to wheel his brother toward the house, Paul went on ahead to unlock the front door.

Ironside's senses went on full alert when he heard someone in the study. He motioned to Paul Drake to move to the other side of the door. After telling his brother to stay back, Ironside pulled out his service revolver.

Nodding to Drake, he waited for the private detective to kick the door open. Paul acknowledged the chief's orders, raised his right leg and kicked it opened. He moved to his left to give Ironside a clear path in case he had to shoot.

A very frightened woman turned toward them as she slammed the desk drawer closed. "Who are you?"

Ironside wheeled into the room. "The question is not who we are, but who you are and what you are doing here." He waited for the woman to respond.

"I have a key, mister. If you don't tell me who you are, I am going to call the police." The woman was nervous and her voice was far less confident than her words.

The chief pulled out his San Francisco badge. "My name is Ironside and I am the police." He offered the badge to the woman.

"A cop in a wheelchair? Yeah right." Her face suddenly lit up in recognition. "You're the cop from San Francisco! Chief Robert Ironside."

"That's right. Now just who are you?" Ironside demanded.

Her attitude changed. She became more defiant. "I don't think that is any of your business, Chief Ironside."

Perry Mason walked into the room. He had heard the conversation from the other side of the door. "I think Chief Ironside just may disagree with you since you are trespassing."

"I have a right to be here. Karen was a friend of mine," she snapped at Mason.

"Paul, call the police," Ironside ordered. "Tell them we have a BE."

The woman squinted her eyes. "What's a BE?"

Perry answered for his brother. "Breaking and entering."

"I didn't break in. I told you I have a key."

"Where did you get the key?" Ironside inquired.

"I told you Karen is a friend of mine."

"Karen Bradley is dead," Paul Drake informed her.

"I know that. I read it in the paper."

"Since she is not here to give you permission to enter this house, you are trespassing," Ironside told her.

Paul Drake stepped over to the desk and picked up the phone. He dialed the operator and said, "Get me the police, I want to report a breaking and entering."

The woman began to panic. She walked over to Drake and tried to take the receiver from him. Unfortunately for her, the detective towered over her in height. She could not reach the receiver even when she's stepped on her tiptoes.

"If you don't want us to call the police, you better start talking," Mason said.

"Who are you?" Ironside demanded once again.

Paul Drake dropped the receiver back into the cradle. He picked up the purse that was sitting on the desk, reached inside and pulled out the wallet.

"Hey, you have no right to do that!" she complained.

Drake read the name on the driver's license and said, "Cindy Morgenstein."

"Morgenstein? Are you the wife of Jay Morgenstein?" Mason asked her.

"That's right," she answered.

"What are you doing here?" Ironside wheeled forward, looking her straight in the eye.

"Karen borrowed a necklace of mine. It was very expensive and I would like it back. Since Larry is in jail, I could not ask him about it. Karen had given me a key, so I decided to see if I could find it."

Both Ironside and Mason were extremely good at reading people. Neither one of them believed a word she said. She was far too nervous And definitely hiding something. From the look on Paul's face, he didn't believe her either.

"Come now, Mrs. Morgenstein, you can do better than that," Ironside said. "What were you really looking for?"

Her voice indignant, she answered, "I told you what I was looking for. I suggest you call Larry. He will tell you that I am a friend of Karen's and that she gave me a key to the house."

This time Perry walked over to the phone. He picked up the receiver And dialed 0. "Operator, give me the number for the city jail" he waited a moment and then said, "Thank you."

"You're not really going to call him?" she said, a bit panicked.

"Is there a reason we shouldn't?" Ironside said, with a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

"He would not recognize me by the name of Cindy Morgenstein."

"Just what name would he recognize you by?" Mason asked.

"He thinks my name is Cindy Johnson."

"Why did you use an alias?" Paul Drake wondered.

"Johnson is my maiden name. I am divorcing my husband, so I went back to using my maiden name."

"Why the divorce?" Mason inquired.

"I don't think that is any of your business," she told the lawyer. "Look, I have cooperated with you and now I would like to leave."

"Without your necklace?" Ironside stared at her.

"I wasn't able to find it."

The detective studied her for a moment. "All right, you can go."

Morgenstein snatched the wallet out of Drake's hand, shoved it into her purse and headed for the door.

"Just a moment, Mrs. Morgenstein," Mason said.

She turned around and looked at the lawyer. "Now what?"

Knowing why Perry stopped her, Ironside put out his hand. "The key?"

"Why should I give it to you?" She said defiantly.

"Because Mr. Mason is Lawrence Bradley's lawyer," Ironside answered. "The key."

Cindy Morgenstein placed the key in Ironside's palm then left the house.

"Paul, I want you to check her out," Mason said.

"Did you get her address from her driver's license?" Ironside asked the private detective.

Paul gave him a look. "Of course I got her address, Chief."

"Find out if she's actually filed for divorce."

"Will do," Drake replied.

Mason walked over to the bookshelf and pulled down the book entitled Spinal Cord Injuries and Miracle Cures by Jay Morgenstein. He set it on the desk as Paul and Ironside gathered around it.

Perry began leafing through the book, looking for the pages in which the envelope had been sandwiched. Near the middle, Ironside spotted an indentation. He reached out and stopped Perry from continuing through the book any further.

They studied the indentation. There was no doubt that there had been a key in that envelope, and a rather thick one such as a safety deposit key.

"We might be able to tell where this is from if we had a magnify glass," Paul said, frustrated.

"Check the desk, Paul," Perry requested, "and see if Bradley kept one in the drawer."

The private eye walked around to the back of the desk and opened the drawer. After a couple minutes of searching through the considerable contents, a grin appeared on his face. He pulled a Sherlock Holmes styled magnify glass out of the desk drawer.

Perry took it out of his hand and gave it to his brother, who was still studying the pages of the book where the envelope that contained the key had obviously been kept.

Ironside shook his head. "I can't tell what is on it. Perry, take a look."

Mason looked at it and could not make out anything either. Disappointed, he dropped the glass down on the desk. There was only one other way he could think of that might result in finding out if the key was for a safety deposit box.

He and Ironside said at the same time, "Paul, get a pencil from the desk."

Drake reached back into the desk and removed a pencil. He handed it directly to Ironside knowing that Perry almost always deferred control to his brother.

Using the lead pencil, the detective began running it back and forth over the indention on the page. Faintly, an image began to form. When the chief completed coloring over the middle of the page, he dropped the pencil on the desk.

"Give me that magnifying glass," Ironside said.

Mason picked up the glass and handed it to him. He watched as Ironside studied the book's page.

"Perry, does that look like an WF to you?" Ironside sought his brother's opinion.

"Sure looks like it to me," Mason confirmed.

Drake looked through the glass. He too could also faintly see the letters. "WF for sure."

"That could mean Wells Fargo Bank," Perry said.

"Which Wells Fargo branch is closest to where Amy's grandfather lived?" Ironside asked.

"I don't know," Mason admitted. "It should be easy to find out." He went to the telephone. Calling his parent's home, his mother answered.

"Mother, I need to talk to Della."

"Perry, where are you? We are waiting on you for dinner."

"Never mind that right now. Please put Della on the phone," Mason requested.

"Alright, but you need to come home soon or dinner is going to be ruined."

Mason smiled. His mother still referred to their home as his even though he hadn't lived there for years.

A moment later, Della came on the line. "Yes, Perry, what is it?"

"We believe that an indentation in the book at Lawrence Bradley's house is a safety deposit key. We can read a WF on it. We need to know which Wells Fargo Bank is closest to where Lawrence Bradley's father lived."

"Perry, you could easily pull out your phone and look that up."

"I realize that, but I have something else I want you to do as well. So look that up for me, would you please?"

Della Street pulled out her smartphone and searched for a Wells Fargo near Bradley's father's home. She gave the address to Perry and then asked, "What else did you want me to do?"

"Talk to Amy. Find out if she ever went to that particular bank with her father. I doubt it as he apparently did not open the envelope. However, I want you to check anyway."

"Alright, just a moment." The phone went silent for a few minutes as Mason waited for Della to come back. When she came on the line, he got the answer he was expecting to get. "Amy says that she never went to a bank with her father, but she did go to that particular bank with her mother. She said that her mother had a key. They went into a room with what she referred to as a lot of lockers. Karen Bradley unlocked one of them and removed the contents."

"What exactly was the contents? Did Amy know?"

"She said then it was another key."

"I don't suppose she knew what the key was to?" Mason asked.

"I asked her that," Della said, "but she had no idea. However, I have a pretty good idea what the key was to. She said that her mother took her to a place where there were a lot of airplanes."

"The airport," Mason said.

"That is what I thought as well."

"Okay, thanks, Della. We will be home shortly." Mason hung up the phone before she could say anything else.

He turned to Ironside and Drake and informed them what Della had told him.

"Whatever was in that safety deposit box is now sitting in a locker in an airport. Can we get a court order to find out where the locker is and what is in it?" Drake asked the two brothers.

"Perry, you need to find a friendly judge to force the airlines to give us the records on the locker," Ironside told his brother.

"On what locker, Bob? Do you have any idea how many lockers there are at Los Angeles International Airport?" Mason complained.

"Probably even more than there are at San Francisco International Airport. Ask the judge to allow us to check any locker in the name of Lawrence Bradley. If his father left money for Amy, he would not have left the locker in Karen's name. He would have left it in Lawrence Bradley's name. But if Karen got a hold of the key, she could get into that locker."

Mason looked at Paul before saying, "All right. Let's drop Bob off at my parents house and we will call Judge Davidson. He's usually pretty liberal when it comes to getting a court order."

"I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that you defended his nephew when he was accused of a rape he did not do," Paul said.

"I don't know, but he usually helps me out when I need it. So let's go."

*

Cindy Morgenstein pulled up in front of Jason Thorsen's house. He was not going to get away with all of the money. She knew about his affairs and she knew why he had them. Jay did not give a damn about any woman he got involved with. She certainly knew that. He had gone through all of her inherited money from her parents. Now that she had none left, he was planning on moving on to someone else. In fact, he already had.

Cindy had hired a private detective agency and had found out that Jay had an affair with Karen Bradley. But that was before he had the affair with Jill Bradley. Cindy knew that Jill was the sister of Lawrence, the man that was now on trial for killing Karen. Quite frankly, she didn't care who killed whom. That was of no consequence to her. All she cared about, was making sure she got her share of the money. She only wanted the amount of the inheritance that Jay had spent over the years. She was quite certain it was considerably less than the amount of money that he was trying to run off with.

Cindy had found out that Jay was still having an affair with Jill Bradley. She had no doubt that he figured she would inherit the money that the grandfather had left for Amy. Legally, she supposed the money should have been spent on Amy. However, she did not give a damn about the brat or her problems. She had far too many problems of her own. One of them, of course was her no-good husband.

Cindy was living in a two-room apartment while Jay was in a luxurious home. She had paid for that house with her inheritance. Unfortunately, she had turned it over to him and signed a paper that she would not make any claim to it. She still to this day could not understand how she could be so stupid as to give him total ownership of their home.

Jay had told her that it had something to do with federal income taxes. She had loved him so much she had trusted everything he said. Since then, she had learned that the only thing he had ever wanted from her was the money. Well, he had gotten it, but she knew too much and he had to give her a share.

Cindy got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. She reached into her purse and pulled out the key that was still in her possession. Placing it in the lock, she turned it and opened the door. She called out his name, but no one answered.

The last thing she wanted to do was run into his bimbo. Cindy knew that there was a good chance it could happen at any time when she stopped here. She had been in the Far East on a trip that he had paid for. Cindy had found out from the private detective that he simply wanted her out of the way. He wanted to make sure that he had obtained the money and that she would be unable to receive any of it.

When the detective reported back to her, she changed the date of her flight and flew back to the United States.

She had to admit she was a bit worried as she had been approached by both Robert Ironside and Perry Mason. Cindy did not like the fact that they were digging into the Bradley murder. She just wanted to get her share and get out of Los Angeles for good. Having already filed for divorce, she would be glad to be rid of Jay Morgenstein or whatever name he was going by at the moment. She had discovered he had used several since his procedure did not work and the spine injuries of his patients.

The estranged wife of Jay Morgenstein began moving through the house but she did not see him anywhere. Cindy headed straight for his study as she knew that's where he kept all of his financial records. If she could find proof that he had obtained the money from the locker at Los Angeles International Airport, she would have something to hold against him. He would have no choice but to give her her inheritance back. She had to have something to live on.

Cindy began by going through his desk drawers. She didn't realize how enlighting the search was going to be. She found pictures of several women, and records of their bank accounts. Obviously, Karen Bradley was not the first woman he had swindled after Cindy had married him. From the amount of material that she located, it had been going on for years. She wondered just exactly how much money he had put away which he had stolen from his lovers.

The door to the office opened, but Cindy did not hear it. Jason Thorsen stood there watching his wife. He did not know how long she had been wrestling through his desk, but it didn't make any difference. She would have found and discovered exactly what he had been doing over the years. Hell, he really didn't care. She probably already knew. Knowing was one thing, but proving it was another. He had no intentions of allowing her to take anything out of his study. Right now, all she could do was to make accusations. Jason had covered his tracks. No one would discover how much money he had or what he had done with it.

"Just exactly what do you think you are doing?" Jason said calmly to his wife.

She turned around quickly startled by his appearance. When he had not answered her, she had thought that he was not home. After all, she knew that he rarely put his car in the garage. It almost always was sitting in the driveway. Today, the driveway was empty.

"You know damn well what I am looking for, Jay." She walked around the desk with some papers in her hand. "How many years have you been running these schemes during our marriage?"

"What difference does it make at this point? You have already filed for divorce. We are finished, and it is just as well. It's been a long time since I could even stand the sight of you."

"I want my money, Jay. I don't care anything about you. My feelings for you died a long time ago. You stole my entire inheritance from my parents and I want it back. I am not asking you to give me one dime of your stolen money. I just want my inheritance back so that I have a way to rebuild my life."

Jason put his head back and laughed. "Women like you are so gullible. You think that men marry you for love. Well, you are wrong. Men marry women for one of two reasons. Money or sex. As a gender, you are otherwise useless."

"I don't care what you think of women. I just want my money. Then I am out of your life forever." Cindy's voice was beginning to rise. She could feel the anger she felt toward a man who had treated her terribly over the years.

"There is no money, at least not for you. I am not giving you one red cent. You were the one who was stupid enough to turn everything over to me and sign a legal document stating that you would make no claims against it. If you had read further, you would have found out that if you try to make any claim, you will not only lose the suit, but you will lose that small account that I did leave you. It might not be much, Cindy, but it is all you're going to get. So, I suggest you get the hell out of my house."

"I got news for you, Jay. You can't make me leave until the divorce is final, and that will be for a while yet. I have decided that I am going to stay here instead of that drury apartment that I am living in. You can't stop me from staying here until the divorce is final and you know it."

"And that is something else you are wrong about. You really should have read the document that you signed before you put your John Hancock on the dotted line. You have no claim to anything including this house while the divorce is going through. My attorney saw to that. Since you did not have an attorney and were not smart enough to question anything, you are just out in the cold. Be glad you live in Los Angeles. Just think what it would be like if you were out in the cold in the Northeast." He chuckled at the thought.

"You might think you're going to get away with this, but I have an ace in the hole. That detective, you know the crippled one, came to see me. He came with his brother, Perry Mason. He is the defense attorney in this case. Robert Ironside is the crippled Detective from San Francisco. They are digging into this and believe me they are on the right track. All I have to do is give them a nudge toward the locker in Los Angeles International. I won't hesitate to do it, Jay. I want my inheritance money back. I am not asking for much. I am certain that there's a lot more than that in that locker. If you give me my inheritance money, I will not talk to Ironside or Mason. But if you don't, I'm going to tell them exactly what you have been up to."

Jason just laughed at her. "Go right ahead. It won't do you any good. You're not very bright, are you, Cindy? You have been a step behind me all of the way. You are right about one thing, I used you. I knew you had money and I got it. I don't care what happens to you. I don't care if you go running to Ironside and Mason. There is nothing, absolutely nothing they can do. Nothing can be traced back to me. I know nothing about any money in a locker at the airport."

"You are a liar and you won't get away with it!"

With a great big grin, he looked at her and said, "Get away with what?"

"I'm going to tell them. They will find out what you did with the money."

"I don't know anything about any money, although I really appreciate you telling me. I will personally check into it for you. I can always use a few more bucks. Now, my dear wife, I want you to get the hell out of my house. If you do not leave right now, I am going to personally throw you out."

Cindy gave him a look that told him exactly how she felt. Still, it didn't matter to him. He just wanted her out of his house. He stared back at her with the same kind of look that she was giving him. As she headed to the door, he stopped her.

"If you think you are going to take those papers and the key to this house out of here, my dear, you are sadly mistaken." Jason put his hand out to her.

Not having any choice since she knew that he would physically and forcibly take them away from her, she placed them in his hand. Storming out the front door and down the sidewalk, she arrived at her vehicle. It was time she had a real heart-to-heart talk with Mason and Ironside.

She had grown to hate Jay. If he thought he was going to get away with this, he was the one that was sadly mistaken. She hated him every bit as much as she hated Jill and Karen Bradley. If she had to, she would do away with him. Karen Bradley got what she deserved and soon so would Jill Bradley.

*

Perry Mason pulled the van to a stop in front of his parents home. He watched as his brother got into the lift, pressed the button and lowered his wheelchair to the ground. Using the automatic window button that operated the passenger side, Perry lowered the window and called out to Ironside as the lift was returning inside the vehicle. "Bob, please make excuses for me for dinner. Tell Della I will call her later on."

Before Ironside could respond, Mason pulled the vehicle away from the curb and was driving down the street. Wheeling his chair towards the door, it opened before he reached it. His step mother stood there smiling at him. She noticed that her other son was not with him.

"Where is Perry?" she asked him.

"He had to get a court order. I do not think he will make it for dinner. He asked me to tell you."

The disappointment on her face showed immediately. Ironside was well aware of how much the Masons loved his brother. For some time now, he had become an object of their affection and love as well.

He wheeled past her and into the house. He was met in the hallway by Amy. With a big smile on her face, she wheeled directly over to Ironside. "I have been waiting for you to come home all day," she said.

Ironside smiled at the little girl before asking, "You have? And just why have you been waiting for me?"

"I need your help, Chief Ironside," Amy said excitedly.

"All right, what is it you want to know?" Ironside asked her.

"I want to be able to put my own shoes on my own feet. I need to know how you do it," Amy said.

Although Ironside rarely ever put his own shoes on, he had to figure out a way to teach her how to do it. Normally, Mark put his shoes on for him. However, he knew that occasionally he had to do it himself. He wasn't sure if the manner in which he put them on would work for Amy. The little girl was so excited about learning something new, he had to give it a try.

"Well, I guess I can teach you that. Where are your shoes?"

Mrs. Mason was anxious to get everyone to the table for dinner before everything was completely ruined. "This can wait until after dinner. If we don't eat it soon, it is not going to be fit to eat."

The little girl's face change to that of disappointment. Ironside decided it would be better to have a cold meal then to disappoint her "This will only take a minute, Mother."

"I'll go get them," Amy said excitedly. She turned her chair around and wheeled toward her bedroom.

"Really, Robert, can't this wait until after dinner?" his mother questioned.

"It will only take just a moment. She is a smart little girl and I believe she will pick it up rather quickly. Besides, the food will wait."

A few minutes later Amy wheeled back into the hallway with a pair of shoes placed in her lap. She looked up at the big detective and said, "Okay, Chief, how do I do it?"

Ironside instructed her to adjust the pedals inward toward her chair. He then told her to use her hands to move her left leg off of the pedal. Amy did so immediately and then looked up to him to continue. Next, he told her to untie the shoe and open the top of it as wide as she could. Once again, Amy followed his instructions. Ironside told her to put the shoe on the pedal. Not really understanding what he was trying to do, she did it anyway.

"All right now, you are ready to put the shoe on. Use your hands to maneuver your leg so that your foot is over top of the shoe's opening."

"Like this?" Amy lifted her leg and dangled her foot over the shoe.

"Okay, now push your foot down into the shoe by applying pressure to your leg downward."

Amy did so and her foot was partially in the shoe. "But my heel is not touching the bottom of the shoe, Chief Ironside, "at least I don't think it is from the look of the shoe."

"It will be in a moment. Now, this is what I want you to do. Lock the wheels on your chair."

Amy reach down and press the lever into the lock position.

"Now that your chair won't move, bend as far forward as you can but be careful not to fall out of the chair. Grab the top of the shoe and pull it toward you. Make sure that you're heal does touch the bottom of the shoe."

Amy grab the shoe and pulled it towards her as she was instructed. Soon the heel of her foot was on the bottom of the shoe, although she didn't know it. "How do I tell if it is touching the shoe?"

"From the looks of that shoe, it is on your foot and in the proper position," Ironside said. "Now reach down and tie it."

Amy bent over again, grabbed the shoelaces and begin to tie them. She repeated the entire process until both shoes were on her feet and tied. She looked up at Robert Ironside with a great big grin. "I did it! I did it!" Amy unlock the wheels of her chair and wheeled toward the detective. She reached out her arms and he picked her up. Placing her in his lap, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. Kissing his cheek, he could see tears in her eyes.

Mrs. Mason had to admit to herself that it was well worth waiting dinner to watch the scene. She had no doubt it was the first time the little girl had ever put on her own shoes. The judge had been right in giving her son temporary custody of Amy Bradley. She had already learned much from Robert and probably would learn a lot more about taking care of herself while in a wheelchair.

Chief Ironside placed the little girl back in her chair and they headed for the kitchen for dinner. Della was at the stove stirring the chili. When the aroma reached Ironside's nostrils, he wondered how his mother could ever think that the dinner could be ruined by waiting. You couldn't possibly ruin chili, he thought.

Della took the chili off the stove and began dishing it up and filling the bowls. William Mason entered the kitchen and took his place at the head of the table. He noticed immediately that his younger son was missing.

"Where is Perry?" Mister Mason asked.

"I was about to ask the same question," Della said.

"We believe we have found out what was in the envelope that was in the book in Lawrence Bradley study. Perry is getting a court order to get a look at a locker at Los Angeles International Airport."

Della sat down at the table beside Ironside. She placed the napkin and looked to Mrs. Mason to say grace. When she had done so, Della asked Perry's older brother, "What was in the envelope, Robert?"

"We believe a hell of a lot of money." Ironside dished up a spoonful of chili and put it in his mouth.

"Robert!" Mrs. Mason scolded him. "Remember, there is a child in the room. Watch your language!"

"But I thought the envelope had been taken from the book in the study. How did you find out what was in it?" Mister Mason asked.

The chief explained how they had used a pencil on the indentation in the book where the envelope had been, and how they had discovered it was a safety deposit key. "The safety deposit box contained another key. We discovered that it was a key to a locker at the airport."

"Then Perry and Paul are getting a court order to open that locker?" Della questioned.

"That's right," Ironside said as he continued to eat his chili.

"Obviously, the motive for this murder was money," William Mason said.

"It quite often is," the chief answered.

"That's enough shop talk," Mrs. Mason said. "We are celebrating Amy learning how to put her own shoes on," she said with a smile, looking at Amy.

William Mason looked over at her and smiled. "Of course she could do it. If Robert could do it, Amy certainly could."

Amy was grinning from ear-to-ear. She looked over at her new friend in the wheelchair. She had so many more questions and so many more things she wanted to learn from him. Amy wanted to surprise her father with all the things that she could do for herself. She just hoped her father would be freed from the jail in order for her to show him.

*

Paul Drake and Perry Mason approached Locker number 365. It had been the only locker that had been rented in the name of Lawrence Bradley. The court order had produced results. They had found out that the locker had been rented 3 years ago by Lawrence Bradley's father. Somehow he had managed to make arrangements to rent the locker on till Amy turned eighteen.

Unfortunately, when Paul placed the key in the lock and opened it, the locker was empty. "Well this is been a bust," Dake said.

"I didn't expect to find the money," Perry said.

"Just exactly what did you expect to find?"

"I don't know exactly, Paul." Mason reached into the locker and began to feel inside. It was slightly over his head and he could not see directly into it. If he could not at his six foot two height, he was certain that Karen Bradley or Jill Bradley would be unable to do so either.

"Anything?" Drake asked.

Suddenly a smile appeared on Mason's face. He pulled an envelope out of the locker. He opened it and read aloud.

"Larry, I know this is an unusual way to give you inheritance money. However, I could not take the chance that someone else would find out where the money was and deprive Amy and you. I obtained this money through investments I made through the stock market. All of that doesn't matter now. I want Amy to have the best of care. I did it this way because, quite frankly, I do not trust Karen. I do not believe she cares about Amy. Nor, sadly do I trust Jill. I know that is a terrible thing to say about my daughter, but I am sure you have discovered it is the truth.

I did not put any of the money in this locker on purpose. I was afraid that Karen would open the envelope that I gave you to hold until Amy's eighteenth birthday. If she had gotten a hold of the key, she could have cleared out this locker. So now I am going to tell you how you can get the money. Go right back to the bank that you found the key to this locker at. Safety deposit box 110 contains one million dollars in hundred dollar bills. It is the largest of all the safety deposit boxes in the bank. You will find that it is in the name of John Doe. You are listed as the co-owner of the safety deposit box. I have made arrangements with the Internal Revenue Service to pay all inheritance taxes on the money as well as the interest that the money would have received had it been deposited in the bank. Under normal circumstances, a bank would never allow you to put money in a safety-deposit box. However, the box will contain all of the legal paperwork that you will need. I know it is a highly unusual situation, but it helps to know someone in the Internal Revenue Service. What was done was not exactly kosher. I did make sure that you would never have any legal problems for what I have done.

Please take care of little Amy. She is a wonderful little girl. Make sure Karen does not spend any of Amy's inheritance. And Larry, I know you would like to see Amy out of that wheelchair. Maybe someday there will be a procedure that will accomplish that. Never quit checking, but don't let it cloud your judgement where Amy is concerned either. I love you son, please don't think that I left you out of inheriting the money. I have explained how you may use some of the money on yourself. Yet, I know that you will never rob Amy of the money she will need do to her disability. I wish you and Amy the best, and always remember that I love you both. Dad.

"Boy," Paul said, "this makes that $250,000 inheritance that Jill Bradley was trying to get control of in court look like pocket change."

Mason looked at his watch and shook his head. "The bank is closed by now. We won't be able to check this out until tomorrow." He placed the paper in his inside suit coat pocket.

"This money is certainly a motive for several people to have murdered Karen Bradley. The most logical suspect is Jill. With Lawrence in prison for murder, the courts would more than likely give full custody of Amy to her. She would not only gain control of Amy's trust fund, but she would also gain control of the million dollars."

"Paul, I have a feeling that the money might be tied up for some time while the internal revenue sorts out how much money should have been paid them over the course of time since Bradley's father put that money in a safety-deposit box. You can't just stick a million dollars into a safety deposit box and not pay the government what interest you should have received."

"But he didn't receive any interest on it."

"You can't put money in a safety-deposit box to hide it from the federal government. It doesn't matter that he didn't receive any interest on the money. If it had been in a bank account where it belonged, the government would have got their cut."

"Well, it has to be removed from that safety deposit box and placed somewhere that we know no one else can get to."

"There will not be any money in that safety deposit box," Perry said.

"Now just how do you know that? What makes you think Jill Bradley could get to that money since it was in the name of John Doe with Lawrence as the co-owner of the box? She would not even think to look for a box in the name of John Doe.

"If someone else got to this locker first, they would have taken the note with them. They would not want anyone else to know that the money was right back at the bank where the key to this locker was stored"

"That's just it, Paul. The person who got their first wanted the others to know who took it."

"I don't understand how you could possibly know that."

"Gut instinct. Let's call it a night. There's nothing further we can do. I've got to get over to my parents house and pick up Della. First thing in the morning I will go over and open that safety deposit box. I have Lawrence Bradley's power of attorney. In the meantime I want you to find out all you can on Cindy Morgenstein."

"I don't understand why you are wasting your time on her. I would think at this point that Jill Bradley would be the number one suspect."

"I am not ruling anybody out. I am not going to leave any stone unturned. Something bothers me about Cindy Morgenstein. She was in Lawrence Bradley study for a reason. I have a feeling she was looking for the envelope."

"But she didn't find it. It was gone before she got there," Paul pointed out.

"True, but I have a feeling that she knows a lot more than she told us. Find out what that is."

"Alright Perry, I'll take care of it in the morning while you're in court."

*

"Perry, come to bed. There is nothing else you can do tonight," Della told the lawyer.

After Perry had picked Della up at his parents house, they stopped and got a bite to eat. Della, who had chili for dinner was not really hungry, so she just had dessert. Mason ordered a steak medium rare with a baked potato and vegetables. He brought her up to date on what had happened at Los Angeles International Airport. After dinner, they went back to Perry's apartment as usual.

"I'll be there in a minute, Della. Something bothers me about this case. What does Jason Thorsen and Cindy Morgenstein have to do with it? Could either one of them have been able to get the million dollars out of the locker at Wells Fargo Bank?"

"What I would like to know, counselor, is why you are fretting over this. You will have your answer tomorrow when you open up the safety deposit box."

"I told Paul, I don't expect to find any money in that safety deposit box. One of the people I just mentioned has already gotten to it, I am certain of that. It is clear that Jason Thorsen was having an affair with both Karen Bradley and Jill Bradley. He was covering his bases. He was romancing Karen Bradley in order to get to the money. However, if he failed at that, he could very well be the one that murdered Karen Bradley. He certainly would have had a motive."

"May I remind you, Mister Mason, Jill Bradley also had a motive. She already has proven that she wanted control of Amy's inheritance money. If Karen was out of the way and Lawrence blamed for her murder, she would then have control of all of the money. I would think that is a very strong motive for murder."

"I can't argue that point," Mason agreed. "But there is also Cindy Morgenstein. If she knew that her husband was having an affair with two different women, she also would have a motive. Something tells me though, that it is possible that she approved of it. Thorsen could have promised her a share of the money."

"So basically what you are saying is we have three suspects."

"That's right, Della, but I'll be hanged if I know which one did it. It had to be one of the three of them."

"Well you are not going to figure it out tonight, so please come and get into bed," Della encouraged him.

Mason finally gave up. He removed his robe, placed it on the chair beside the bed and slid under the covers next to Della. She snuggled up to him, laying her head on his chest. Running her fingers through his chest hair, she whispered, "You are really tense, Perry. I know the best way to get you to relax."

Mason smiled, knowing exactly what Della was suggesting. As much as he wanted it too, he wasn't finished. Was my mother upset with me for not being there for dinner?"

Della noticed that he ignored her suggestion for the moment. "No, she wasn't. I think she was distracted by your brother teaching Amy how to put her shoes on herself."

"Bob doesn't put his own shoes on. Mark does it," Mason said.

"Mark isn't always there, Robert has to know how to do it himself. Besides you know that despite Mark's help, he is pretty self-sufficient. He is really helping Amy to become so as well. You had to have been there to see it. He took her step by step on how to put her own shoes on while sitting in the wheelchair. When she was able to accomplish it, she was so excited and happy. Robert has been very good for her. She is learning to do things on her own, things that she has never been allowed to do."

Perry look down at Della and smiled. "Despite that gruff exterior, he is a very compassionate man. He just doesn't like anyone to see it. Before this is all over, he'll have her doing everything but walking."

"Wouldn't it be nice if the procedure that Lawrence Bradley was trying to get for her would actually put her on her feet?" Della said.

"I have checked, and according to the experts there is no procedure that will do that right now. Hopefully, there will be in the future someday."

"So, counselor, are we going to talk about Amy and the case all night or is there something else you would like to do?"

Perry chuckled. "Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Street?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I was trying before we started this conversation. But if you are not interested, I will turn off the light and go to sleep." Della rolled until her back was to him and reached for the light. His very large hand reached over her and shut off the light.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" He bent down and his lips met hers.


	21. Chapter 21

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 21

Perry woke up bright and early the next morning. Birds could be heard chirping at the windowsill. He often wondered why they got up so early. Of course, the expression the early bird gets the worm might have something to do with it.

He looked down at his sleeping Della Street. Gently, he pulled his shoulder out from underneath her. Unlike most couples who had been together for a time, Della still normally slept on his shoulder. Once he head untangled himself from her, he sat there propped up on his elbow watching her sleep. Mason wondered how he could be so lucky. This woman was completely devoted to him both privately and professionally. He knew of no more beautiful woman then Della Street. He also knew of no other woman that could even begin to attract his attention. Of course, he wasn't oblivious to other beautiful women. They caught his eye the same as any other man. However, that was as far as it ever went. He could appreciate a beautiful woman, but none of them ever held the least bit interest for him. Why would they? He had the most beautiful woman in the world lying right there beside him. He would never do anything to jeopardize the relationship he had with her.

He saw no reason to disturb her. She might as well get the sleep that he was unable to. Right now, all he wanted to do was pick up Bob and go over to that bank. Although, he did not expect to find the money there, he was hoping that there would be some kind of clue as to where it went. He knew that the bank had videos of everybody that went into the safety deposit box vault. Perry was going to stop off and get a subpoena for the safety deposit box and those videos. He wanted to know who took the money. That person could very well be the murderer.

Mason headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He then shaved, applied cologne and combed his hair. Returning to the bedroom, he fully expected to find Della sleeping. However, the covers were thrown back and the bed was empty. On the foot of it, she had set out his suit, under clothing, socks and a pair of shoes was on the floor next to the bed. Mason smiled. Della took such good care of him both in and out of the office.

After dressing, he headed to the kitchen. Della stood in front of the stove cooking bacon and eggs. The table had been set for two, including orange juice and a coffee cup. Mason could smell the coffee brewing and the aroma of the bacon and eggs filled his nostrils.

He came up behind Della and put his arms around her waist, kissed her temple and said, "You take such good care of me."

She turned in his arms, ran a finger down the dimpled line in his jaw and smiled. "Someone has to. If I didn't, your socks and shoes would never match your suit. You would skip breakfast and head directly for the office. Since half the time you skip lunch, the only meal you would ever eat is dinner. We eat that meal late at night most of the time so you would take very poor care of your health. I can't have that as I want you around for many years to come."

Mason looked into her eyes and smiled. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, he said, "I have no intentions of going anywhere. I would be a fool to leave you, and I am no fool."

She kissed him gently and then told him to sit down as his breakfast was ready. Perry did as she requested. Della dished up the bacon and eggs and placed them on his plate. She poured him a cup of coffee and then did the same for herself.

"I thought it was my turn to make breakfast," Perry said.

"I don't keep track. Besides, I know you want to join your brother. Are you going over to the Wells Fargo bank right away?"

"Yes, I am picking up Bob when I leave here. Would you like to come along?" Mason asked her.

Della smiled at the lawyer. "I thought you would never ask."

They discussed the case throughout breakfast. When they were finished, Della began clearing the dishes from the table. When Perry noticed what she was doing, he said, "Della I have a maid for that. If you're going with me, go get ready. Don't worry about the dishes."

She set what dishes she had in her hands back on the table. As she headed to the bathroom, Mason grabbed a hold of her and pulled her into his arms. "I wish we could just stay here and spend the day together." He bent down and kissed her lightly.

"That would be nice, Counselor, but we have a case going on right now. Maybe we can spend some down time when this one is solved."

"Unfortunately, once we solve this one, another one will just come about." Mason look down into her hazel eyes.

"Unfortunately? Admit it, Perry, you love the intrigue and the mystery of solving murder cases."

Mason chuckled. He could not argue that as she was correct. He did love what he did for a living. Most of all he loved helping those who could not help themselves. "Okay, you got me there. Now go get dressed." He gave her a light-hearted slap on the behind and she walked away from him.

*

Ironside had showered and was completely dressed. As he headed for the kitchen, he noticed that Amy's bedroom door was still closed. Knowing that his mother would have breakfast on the table, he wondered why Amy was still in her room. He wheeled over to the door and knocked lightly.

"Amy, it's time for breakfast." When Ironside received no response, he opened the door. The little girl was lying on the bed crying. He went immediately over to her and gathered her into his arms. "Why are you crying, Amy?" Ironside asked her.

"I miss my daddy," she said through her tears.

The detective hugged her to him. "I know you do. It won't be long and you'll be back with him."

She brightened up just a bit. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so," he told her. He knew that you should not be making any promises of that sort, but his heart broke for the little girl. She had already been through so much; her mother being murdered and now her father on trial for that murder. He had to give her some hope.

Unfortunately, they weren't any closer to determining who did the actual murder. Although his brother did not have to find the murderer, he had to provide reasonable doubt. As far as Ironside could see, they had not done that yet.

"Now, what do you say we go to breakfast. I'm hungry." He wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled down at her.

"Do I get to put my own food on the table?" she asked him.

"You sure do!" he said in a boisterous voice. Ironside pulled her chair close to his. He set the little girl into it. "Tell you what, I'll race you to the table."

A big grin broke across her face. "You're on!" She headed for the door as Ironside hesitated to give her a head start. He had no intentions of arriving at the table before she did.

He watched as she opened the door and wheeled down the hall as fast as she could go. When he arrived in the kitchen she was already there grinning at him. "I won, Chief Ironside!"

"I'll get you next time," he said, knowing that he would let her win again.

Mister Mason smiled at the two as his wife dished up the pancakes. She headed towards the table, but not before Amy objected.

"I need to do that for myself. Chief Ironside said I must move my own breakfast to the table." She wheeled over to Mrs. Mason who smiled down at the little girl.

"Okay Amy. Put your breakfast on the table."

She took the plate of pancakes and balanced them in her lap. Moving her chair over to the table, she stopped and placed the pancakes in her place setting. She looked up at the big detective she had come to love and smiled. "I did it!"

"Of course you did," he said to her.

The doorbell rang. "I'll get that," said William Mason. He left the kitchen to answer the front door. When he returned, Perry and Della were with him.

"Sit down," Mrs. Mason told them. "I made enough for both of you."

"Thank you, mother, but Della made breakfast for both of us this morning. A cup of coffee would be nice though."

She poured two cups of coffee and set them down on the table. Perry and Della sat down at the only two empty chairs left.

"Chief Ironside says that Daddy will be able to come home soon," Amy said to no one in particular.

Both Perry and Della looked over at Robert Ironside. The detective only gave them a sheepish grin. He had every intention of finding out who murdered Amy's mother. He wasn't about to let her down. He had just made a promise to her that he expected his brother to help him keep.

When breakfast was over, Ironside left the house with Perry and Della. Leaving his car behind, Mason headed for Ironside's rented van.

Once the detective had pulled the van into the street, Della said to him, "Robert, should you be promising that girl that her father will be with her shortly?"

"I made a promise to her and we are going to keep it," was all the detective said.

"But I thought you believed Lawrence Bradley was guilty?" Perry reminded him.

"I never said that. I simply wanted nothing to do with the case after he kidnapped me," he growled at his brother.

"And now?" Mason asked.

"Now what?"

"Do you believe that Lawrence Bradley killed his wife?" Mason asked with no intentions of allowing his brother to ignore him.

"No, I don't believe he did. There are too many other people who had motive to kill Karen Bradley. However, I warn you, if we find the evidence that he did do it, I will turn it over to the district attorney. As a police officer I would have no choice." His face darkened at the thought of having to provide the evidence that would convict Amy's father.

"Being an officer of the court, I could not conceal evidence anyway," Perry said.

"Robert, where are you going?" Della asked with a smile.

"To the court, where else would I be going? We need to subpoena the Wells Fargo Bank videos and the safety deposit box. We are going to do this by the book," Ironside snarled.

Mason looked over at Della and grinned. She could tell he was about to needle his older brother. "Well then, I suggest you turn this bucket around. The courthouse is in the opposite direction."

"I know that, I just wanted to see if you were paying attention," Ironside said.

"Why don't you just admit it, Bob? You were just plain going in the wrong direction." Mason was not above giving his brother a little good old-fashioned ribbing.

"I am not going in the wrong direction," Ironside complained. "This vehicle needs gas." He pulled into the gas station that was a block down the street. "Get out and fill it up!" He ordered his younger brother.

Perry winked at Della, opened the door and got out. He pulled the nozzle off the gas pump, opened the door to the tank, inserted the nozzle and began pumping gas. Within a matter of seconds, it stopped. He looked up at the gas pump to see it read seventy-five cents. Mason shook his head and chuckled. After going into the station and paying the seventy-five cents, he made sure he brought back a receipt. He sat down in the passenger seat next to his brother and handed him the receipt.

"I don't think we would have made it another block if we had not put that seventy-five cents in the gas tank," Mason said with a grin.

"Drake must have filled up the vehicle," Ironside snarled as he pulled the van back into the street. He turned it around and headed back in the direction they had come.

Perry look back at Della who was smiling. Bob Ironside could just never admit to making a mistake.

A few minutes later they were at the courthouse. Ironside parked the vehicle in a handicap spot and they all got out to head for the judge's chambers.

*

Jill Bradley waited in Jason Thorsen's study. She had called earlier to let him know that she was coming over. Thorsen knew she was there but didn't care. Once he got his hands on the million-dollars, he was out of Los Angeles for good. There were other large cities that he could find rich women to swindle.

Soon his divorce from Cindy would be final and he would be free to marry some other woman with money. He wished he had discovered this very profitable scheme sooner. Certainly, his book had not made him any money. Basically, it had turned him into a laughing stock in the medical field. Jason had been sure that his procedure would radically change the way spinal injuries were treated. Unfortunately, he had published the book before the procedure had been fully tested. It turned out to be a complete failure. Afterwards, he was never again taken seriously.

Thorsen lost patients and valuable income. It came to a point that he could no longer practice medicine and make a living at it. His reputation had been tainted and nobody wanted a specialist who was a failure. He supposed he could have gone into general practice, but then again, he figured his reputation would get around and he would be unable to make money that way either.

Ten years ago he began looking for very wealthy women. He knew he was good-looking and was loaded with charm. Women always fell for good-looking men with charm. He had swindled so much money out of women, that he probably didn't have to work another day in his life. Yet, he didn't quit. Maybe it was the thrill a fooling these women into giving him their money. He wasn't sure, but he certainly had a very big fat bank account overseas.

He supposed he should be bothered by Ironside and Mason's investigation into the death of Karen Bradly, but he wasn't. He could not be tied to her death, of that he was certain.

Looking at the closed study door, he had put off Jill Bradley as long as he could. He would be so glad to get rid of that bitch. Why's did women make more of a relationship than what it was? She meant nothing to him. He had only romanced her to get to Karen. She was the one who had access to the brat's money.

He was about to break things off with Jill when Karen was killed. Then he had no choice but to continue his affair with Jill. Thank God he had not done anything before Karen's unfortunate demise. If he had broken it off with Jill, he would have lost all that beautiful money. This would be his biggest score yet.

Jason went over to the study door, hesitated and then entered. "Hello, darling!" he said with enthusiasm. "How I have missed you!" He went to her, put his arms around her and kissed her with passion, fake passion, but passion nevertheless.

"I have missed you too, Jason. Missed you more than you know," she said.

"Well, that makes my day, baby." He reached behind her and removed a paper from his desk. "My divorce papers. I told you if you were patient, everything would work out and it has."

She read the paper and smiled, but it was a sad smile. Jason noticed immediately. "Why the long face? It won't be long and we will be married, darling."

"I know that, Jason, but what about Mason and Ironside? They are messing in Amy's affairs. Ironside has guardianship of the brat at the moment."

He waved his hand as if it didn't matter. "So what, as soon as Larry is convicted you will be awarded the brat, not that the crippled kid will be much of an award." He grinned before adding, "But the money you will gain control of will be!"

"How do we know I will be awarded custody? Ironside was able to get control of her and her trust," she worried.

"Temporary control. You are her own living relative, Jill. They are not going to award permanent custody to a total stranger like Ironside. You have nothing to worry about. As soon as Larry is convicted you are in the clear."

"You really think so?" she asked.

Oh, how he would be glad to get rid of this sniveling woman! He could not stand to have her around much longer. "Now, tell me, were you able to get the million dollars out of the safety deposit box?" Jason wanted to cut to the chase and find out about the money.

"It wasn't easy. The first box had a key to a locker at the airport. There wasn't any money in that locker," she informed him.

"What? What do you mean there was no money?" If there wasn't any more money to be had, he was finished with this bitch.

"My old man left a note in the locker. He wanted to make sure that neither Karen nor I got the money. So, he put another key in that locker. It was to a safety deposit box right back at the same bank as the first key."

"Then you got it?" Jason asked.

"Yes. I went to the bank and got the money," she told him.

"Where is it now?" he asked.

"Well, let's say it is in a safe place. No one will find it. Of that, I am sure," Jill said.

"But where did you put it?" he asked again.

Jill looked at him. "It's safe, Jason, that is all that matters."

"That is not all that matters. Jill, we are to be married. A married couple trusts each other."

"Do you intend to marry me, Jason?" she asked.

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I intend to marry you? Why would you think otherwise?"

"Why were you having an affair with Karen?" she demanded.

"I was not having an affair with Karen! Where in God's name did you get that idea?"

"From Karen. She had a picture of you on her desk. When I went to clean her desk out, it was there. No one would have known it was you. It was one from your acting days, but it was you," she said bitterly. "You signed it, Love, Jay."

Damn it! He did not need any more complications! Trying to think fast on his feet, he lied, "Alright, I did get involved with her briefly, but it could not be considered an affair. It was when you were having trouble getting the information out of her on her trust fund. I decided to see if I could get it for us, so I started the affair. It didn't last long, Jill, and I did it for us. Can't you see that?"

Jill wanted to believe him, but how could she? One million dollars was a hell of a lot of money. Was he just after the money or did he really only have the affair to get Karen to relinquish control of the trust fund? Jill loved this man, so why could she not trust him. Maybe he was right. She had not been able to get Jill to share control of Amy's trust fund. She refused, despite trying to get the money away from Larry. She had not entrusted Jill with any knowledge of that money or the million dollars that Jill had come to know about. It had only been by accident that Jill had found the envelope in Larry's study.

It was after she and Jason had started seeing each other. When he told her that he was the Jay Morganstein that had written that book on spinal cord injuries, she was surprised to see it on the shelf in Larry's study. She had pulled it down to look at it when she discovered the envelope. Jill has been unable to resist steaming it open when it had said to be opened only on Amy's eighteenth birthday. It had not been easy, but she had been able to follow the trail to locate the million dollars.

At first, she thought Larry or Karen had gotten to the money, as she found nothing in that airport locker. It wasn't until she tried again that she discovered the note in the locker. However, she did not find a key. There had to be another key if the money was right back at the Wells Fargo Bank in another safety deposit box. She had been trying to find out ever since who took the key because they were likely the individual who now had the million dollars. She had only led Jason to believe that she had the money because she was afraid of losing him if he found out that the locker was empty.

"How come you were unable to find out where the money was?" Jill asked Jason. "Karen had to know about it."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't. I don't understand how someone could hide a million dollars. Karen was always evasive about the trust fund let alone the million dollars."

"Can't we leave now and come back for the money?" she pleaded.

"I'm afraid not; we are both under subpoena. Do not worry, baby. We are going to get that money, and then you and I are getting out of Dodge."

"What about Amy?" She couldn't stand the kid, however, she just could not leave her without knowing that somebody was taking care of her. She certainly didn't want the job. The kid was nothing but a burden.

"You can stick her in one of those homes for cripples. Once we're gone, they will probably have to make her a ward of the court. Maybe that crippled detective will take her."

She looked into his eyes. She was not good at reading people, especially this man. In the beginning she had trusted him explicitly. That trust was tested when she found out that he was also having an affair with Karen. She just didn't know anymore if he could be trusted.

Jill had set up a surveillance camera in his study. She had to find out whether he was being honest with her. Her cell phone would inform her when anyone was in the study. She had watched him throw his wife out of his house. Jill did not believe that his wife had any idea about the money or where it was. She only knew that he had some money. She was not jealous of Cindy, as it was obvious he cared nothing for her. What bothered her was that she heard Cindy say he had run this scheme before. Jason had said that women were easy because they did not understand that they were only good for two things, sex and money.

If only she could confront him on that statement. She couldn't, though. She could not let on to him that she had set up a surveillance system in his office. Right now, all she could do was continue to keep an eye on him. Did he really know where the money was? Was he the one that removed it from the locker? She had to know. That money was rightfully hers. Her brother was going to jail for the rest of his life, if not executed for the crime of killing Karen. That left all of the money in her control. She could not allow Jason to steal it from her. Yet, she loved him. Should she trust him? She just did not know. She was so confused.

She could still hear his words when he said women were gullible. They thought men married them for love. He had ask her to marry him. The words kept vibrating in her mind. Men marry women for money and sex. Was that what he was doing? Just marrying her for the money he could get from her? Or was it just something he was saying to Cindy to inflict verbal hurt? She had to know. If he had been lying to her, he would regret it. She would make sure that he never saw a single penny of Amy's money. She had enough on him to send detectives in his direction regarding the sums that he had already invested in his real estate ventures. None of that money had been returned to Amy's trust fund.

Trying to hide her feelings from Jason, she smiled at him. "Why don't we go and get some lunch?"

He put his arms around her, bent down and kissed her. "I have a better idea. Why don't I have you for lunch?" He picked Jill up and carried her to his bedroom.

*

Ironside parked the van in the handicap spot at Wells Fargo Bank. He released the lock on his chair and backed it up until he had entered the lift's tray that would lower him to the ground.

Perry and Della got out of the vehicle and met Robert on the right side of the van. Mason did not offer to push his brother into the bank. Mark Sanger could do that, but most of the time the detective was a bit sensitive to his brother doing it. He was a proud, independent man, and Perry respected that.

Once inside the bank, Perry looked for someone to help them locate the manager of the institution. The three of them headed for the information desk. In this case, Perry relinquished control to his brother as Ironside pulled out his badge.

"My name is Robert Ironside and this is Perry Mason and his secretary, Della Street. We have a subpoena to look in one of your safety deposit boxes."

Mason pulled the subpoena out of his pocket and set it down in front of the young woman. She seemed uncertain as to what to do. Perry noticed her uneasiness immediately and tried to calm her. "Perhaps you should inform your bank president that we are here."

She looked up at the man whose picture she had seen in the papers on numerous occasions. He was a bit of a celebrity in Los Angeles as well as being considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. This was her first look at the lawyer up close. She decided his pictures did not do him justice. He certainly was even more handsome in person. The man in the wheelchair was simply an older version of the lawyer. Then she remembered they were half-brothers.

"One moment, Chief Ironside, I will tell the bank president that you are here." She got up and headed towards the back, but not without glancing back at the two men that could be twins if they were the same age.

A few minutes later, she returned with a short, balding man in his forties. She sat back down at her desk and returned to her work.

"Chief Ironside and Mister Mason, I recognize both of you! My name is Barry Rivers. I am the president of this bank. Sally gave me this subpoena and informed me that you were here. If you will follow me, I will take you back to the safety deposit boxes. I am afraid we will have to drill the box in order to obtain access to it. It requires both keys in order to open it."

Mason and Ironside shook hands with Rivers and then followed him past a gate that led to the safety deposit vault. The bank president picked up the phone in the vault and called for an employee to bring a drill. Moments later a young man showed up and Rivers ordered him to drill locker that was named in the subpoena. He did as he was told.

Perry, Della and Robert waited as the man took a couple minutes to drill the lock on the locker. When he completed his task, he opened the door. Perry stepped over to it as it was over his brother's head.

"Well?" Ironside said.

Mason looked back at him and replied, "It's empty, Bob."


	22. Chapter 22

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 22

Perry and Della walked up the steps of the Hall of Justice. Della carried Perry's briefcase. The weatherman had predicted rain for the day, and this was one time he had been correct. Perry held the umbrella over the two of them with one hand while the other guided her up the steps by the elbow. Despite the rain, the press was lined all the way up the stairs, shouting questions at him. Perry smiled but said nothing. He just hoped they didn't attempt to block their path. The umbrella kept the rain off their upper bodies, but the lower half was getting soaked due to the wind blowing the rain on an angle right at them.

As they entered the courthouse, Mason closed the umbrella. There were more reporters waiting for him inside. Ordinarily, Perry would answer a question or two, but he and Della were running late. Judge Leo Donovan frowned on anyone being late.

Lawrence Bradley was brought in just as they arrived at the defense table. Bradley looked quite anxious. Perry had a pretty good idea why. He decided to head off his questions. "Amy is doing just fine. She is getting along with my parents, and Bob is teaching her about how to handle herself in a wheelchair. She misses you though."

Bradley didn't say anything. He just nodded and sat down. Judge Donovan entered the courtroom as the bailiff called out. "All rise. Judge Donovan presiding."

Mason stood up, along with Bradley and Della, as did the rest of the people in the courtroom. As Donovan took his seat, he indicated for everyone to sit down. He looked over at Mason and said, "Mister Mason, is the defense ready to proceed?"

"We are, Your Honor," Mason answered.

"Then call your first witness," Donovan ordered.

"The defense calls Jason Thorsen," Perry called out, turning around and looking at the former doctor.

Thorsen stood up, passed through the gate and was sworn in. After taking his place on the stand, he waited for Mason to begin. It seemed to him that the damn lawyer was taking his sweet time. He sat at his table staring at paperwork. Thorsen became impatient. "I don't have all day, Mason."

The courtroom broke out in laughter. Perry looked up from his paperwork and smiled. Thorsen did not realize that Mason had purposely hesitated to rattle him. Apparently, it was successful.

Judge Donovan banged his gavel and the room became silent. "Mister Mason, please start your examination."

Mason stood up and walked slowly over to his witness. "Mister Thorsen, did you know Karen Bradley?"

"You know I did," he answered.

"Just how well did you know her?" Mason asked.

"I knew her," he replied.

"Isn't it true that you were having an affair with her?" Mason said.

Burger was on his feet immediately. "Your Honor, Mister Mason is doing his usual attempt at smearing the witness! This witness is not on trial and this is incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial."

Judge Donovan looked over at Mason with a look that said he was about to scold the defense attorney. Mason was quick to interrupt.

"Your Honor, I am doing no such thing. Mister Burger has accused my client of murder. Defense has the right to show there were others besides my client that had a motive to kill Karen Bradley."

With reluctance, Donovan ruled, "Overruled, but I caution counsel to keep his examination within courtroom procedure."

"I have every intention of doing that," Perry said.

"I bet," Burger said as he sat back down.

"What was that Mister Burger?" the judge asked.

"Nothing, Your Honor," Burger replied.

"I suggest that you keep your remarks to yourself. If you have something to say, you will either object or address your remarks to the bench. Is that clear?"

"It is. My apologies, Your Honor."

"You may proceed, Mister Mason."

"Mister Thorsen, I would like an answer to my question. Were you not having an affair with Karen Bradley?"

Thorsen knew that damn Mason was going to do this. He had no choice but to answer him. He did not doubt that the attorney had dug up enough evidence to prove it. There was no sense in perjuring himself over this detail. "Yes, it is true, but good luck trying to hang her murder on me, Mason. I had nothing to do with it."

Perry immediately turned to the judge. "Move to strike the last part of that testimony as non-responsive."

"Granted." He turned and looked at the witness. "You will answer counsel's questions and that is it. You will refrain from adding to them. Is that clear?"

"It is, but I was just heading off Mason accusing me of killing Karen," Thorsen added.

"You will only answer the question put to you. You will not anticipate counsel's next question," Donovan said sternly.

Thorsen said nothing further as he was afraid of irking the judge. He watched as Mason's expression never changed.

"Mister Thorsen, that is not your real name, is it?" Mason asked.

"Objection! Incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial," Burger called out from the prosecutor's table.

"I am going to allow it, Mister Burger," Donovan told the district attorney. Burger rolled his eyes. Was the judge ever going to stop Mason from fishing?

"It is now," Thorsen said.

"But it wasn't always your name, was it?"

"No. My given name was Jay Morganstein," he answered.

That gave Burger an opening. The judge had already told Thorsen to answer only the question and not add to it. "Objection, Mister Thorsen is again adding to Mister Mason's questions."

Judge Donovan gave Burger a disgusted look, but he could not ignore his objection, as he had told Thorsen to only answer Mason's questions and not add to them. "Objection sustained."

Perry looked back at Burger and smiled. He was not about to let Burger think he had rattled him one bit. "Alright, what name did you go by?"

"Jay Morganstein," Thorsen said.

"You were considered an expert in spinal cord injuries, were you not?" Mason asked.

"Yes, but that was a long time ago," Thorsen said.

"What happened?"

Burger was up on his feet again. "Oh, Your Honor, is there a pertinent question in the future of Mister Mason's cross examination?"

"Mister Mason, you do seem to be getting pretty far afield," Judge Donovan agreed.

"If the district attorney will be patient, I will connect this up," Mason told Donovan.

"Alright, but please do so quickly," the judge told him.

Mason nodded at the judge and said, "Of course, Your Honor." After turning his attention back to Thorsen, Mason asked, "Mister Thorsen? What happened?"

"I wrote a book on curing spinal cord injuries. It turned out that the procedure didn't work. No one would listen to me after that."

"I see. Was Karen Bradley aware of this book?" the famous lawyer inquired.

"Yes, of course. She had a copy of it."

"And where did she get it?"

Thorsen squirmed a bit in his seat. "I gave it to her."

"Why? Why did you give her a book about a failed spinal cord injury treatment?" Mason watched his reaction closely. He got the desired result. Thorsen's jaw tighten and his face turned red.

"Because she asked for it. I think she ... "

"Never mind what you think, simply tell what you know," Mason interrupted.

"She said she wanted to show her husband that Amy's situation was hopeless."

"Was Jill Bradley aware of this book as well?" Mason asked.

Burger's face turn to confusion. He did not understand where Mason was going with this. He would not wait much longer before he objected to this line of questioning again. Surely, the judge could not allow it to go on much longer.

"How would I know that?" Thorsen snarled.

"You were having an affair with her as well, were you not?" Mason demanded.

That was it, Burger could not continue to let Mason go on. "Objection! Mister Mason is trying to smear this witness!"

"Sustained! Move on, Mister Mason."

Perry had to find a way to get this on record. "You were investing large amounts of cash in your firm, were you not?"

"Of course. It is an investment firm after all," he snarled back at the attorney.

"Where did you get the money?"

"It was cash on hand."

Mason walked back to the defense table. Della handed him Lawrence Bradley's journal. He walked back to the witness stand and handed it to Thorsen. "Do you recognize that journal?"

"No, why should I?" he growled. He shoved it back at the attorney.

"It belongs to Lawrence Bradley." Mason took the journal and opened it to two entries in the book. Would you read those entries to the court?"

"They appear to be withdrawals from Amy Bradley's trust account," he answered.

"That is exactly what they are. Where did the money go?"

"Objection!" Burger argued. "How could the witness possibly know what Lawrence Bradley did with the money?"

"Because Mister Thorsen was the recipient of that money," Mason said, turning sharply toward Burger.

"Objection overruled," Donovan ruled.

Thorsen snapped back at Mason. "That's ridiculous. I didn't get any money from Lawrence Bradley."

"That is your handwriting in the book showing the money was removed for supposed payment to Jay Morganstein for a future procedure, is it not?"

"I didn't receive any payment from Bradley, either Bradley. Karen knew her husband did not know about me, and they had my book on the spinal procedure. She used that as a means to get some of the money from the trust." His voice was showing sheer contempt for the lawyer.

"You did not receive any money from her?" Mason asked.

"No!"

"I suggest you reconsider your testimony. We took that journal to a handwriting expert. He confirmed that it is your handwriting. Mister Andrew Sutton is here in the courtroom." Sutton stood up.

"Well ... I ... suppose I could have written it in the journal for Karen, but I did not receive any money," Thorsen insisted.

"No?"

"That's what I said."

Mason walked back to the table and once again Della handed him several sheets of paper. He came back to Jason Thorsen. He handed him some of the sheets. "That is a contract for an investment you made in the Davidson Condo project, isn't it?"

Thorsen looked at the contract. "It is, but how did you get it? That is confidential."

"A court order, Mister Thorsen. Perry then set Thorsen's bank records down in front of him. "Is that your company's bank statements?"

"Yes." He was beginning to sweat.

"And it shows a deposit of $50,000.00 on the same date you made the journal entry in Lawrence Bradley's journal, does it not?" Mason demanded. Bradley said nothing.

"Karen Fusee is the listed co-owner of the investment-consaulting business, isn't she?" Mason thundered.

"Yes, she is," he responded. He reached up and loosened his tie.

"Karen Fusee is the maiden name of Karen Bradley, is it not?"

"How would I know?"

"Oh, you know, Mister Thorsen. You co-owned the business with her. You both were taking funds out of Amy Bradley's trust fund and using the money for your investment firm, which by the way is now worth more than a quarter of a million dollars. Karen Bradley signed a legal document giving you total ownership of the firm upon her death, didn't she?"

"So what, I didn't kill her," he shouted.

"Isn't it true that you had an affair with Jill Bradley in order ... "

"Objection!" Burger shouted.

" ... to get closer to Karen Bradley, and then resumed that affair when Bradley was murdered so that you would be able to have access to the trust fund through Amy's only remaining relative once Lawrence Bradley was convicted of her murder?"

"Objection! Your Honor!" Burger was not only on his feet but walked over to the bench, demanding the judge's ruling.

Donovan, momentarily stunned, said nothing. Finally, he said, "Overruled."

"But, Your Honor, you already ruled on Mason bringing up this alleged affair!" Burger cried angrily.

"That was before Mister Mason provided all this evidence. The objection is overruled. Continue Mister Mason."

"Isn't it true, Mister Thorsen? Or do I have to call the hotel clerk to the stand to testify of your rendezvous with Jill Bradley at his hotel?"

"Alright, I was having an affair with both of them. I had to make sure I could get to the money regardless of which one had control of it, but that is all. I did not kill Karen!"

"Were you aware that there was an envelope in that book for Amy Bradley that was not to be opened until her eighteenth birthday?" Mason said.

Again, Thorsen looked a bit uncomfortable. "No, I was not."

"Your lover, Karen Bradley, did not tell you about it?" Mason asked.

Burger could sit still no longer. "Objection! Mister Mason is assuming facts not in evidence. Mister Thorsen could not possibly know whether Karen Bradley knew of any envelope, which by the way is not in evidence either."

"Objection sustained. Mister Mason, if you are going to question Mister Thorsen on an envelope, you must first establish that it did indeed exist," Donovan ruled.

"Alright then." He turned to the bench. "I would like to excuse this witness and call Chief Robert T. Ironside to the stand," Perry said.

"Go ahead, Mister Mason."

The doors to the courtroom opened, and Robert Ironside entered in his wheelchair. Perry held the gate open so his brother could pass through with no difficulty. When Ironside reached the witness stand, he halted his chair in front and turned it around. The judge reminded Ironside he was still under oath.

"I will not bother to go over this witness's qualifications as an expert; his reputation precedes him." He turned to his brother and began questioning him. "In the interest of full disclosure, Chief Ironside has been doing the investigating for the defense."

Mason then turned his attention back to his brother. "Chief Ironside, are you aware of an envelope that was inserted in a book that Jason Thorsen wrote as Jay Morganstein?"

"I am. I was made aware of it by you and your client," the chief answered.

"Your Honor, this is not best evidence. If Mister Mason is going to introduce this envelope, the prosecution feels it should be done by Mister Bradley himself," Burger argued.

Perry looked over at Burger. He had anticipated that Burger would insist on this. He was prepared. He was not about to allow Lawrence Bradley on the stand. He had far too much respect for Burger as an interrogator. "As Mister Burger knows, a defendant cannot be compelled to testify. I point out that Chief Ironside has an impeccable record as a police detective and will be able to prove the envelope's existence."

"I still demand that if it is to be introduced, best evidence is by the man who said it was there to begin with," Burger argued.

"Mister Burger, defense counsel is correct, the defendant cannot be forced to testify. I believe if Chief Ironside can confirm its existence, than that is acceptable to the court. Objection overruled." Donovan knew Burger's objection stemmed from trying to force Lawrence Bradley on the stand, and he was not about to order that.

"But, Your Honor ... " Burger protested.

"Overruled!" Donovan snarled at Hamilton Burger. "You may continue Mister Mason.

"Chief, were you aware of this envelope?" Mason asked again.

"I was. I was told it was inserted into a book called Spinal Cord Injuries and Miracle Cures by Jay Morganstein."

"The same Jay Morganstein that now goes by the name of Jason Thorsen, is that correct."

"It is," Ironside answered.

"Chief, did you look in that book?"

"Yes."

"Was there an envelope in the book?" Mason inquired.

"No, there was not."

Burger was up on his feet again. "Your Honor, are we supposed to just take the defendant's word for this mysterious envelope?"

"Mister Mason, are you or are you not going to prove the existence of this envelope?" Judge Leo Donovan said, directing his attention to the famous attorney.

"Your Honor, I intend to do just that if the district attorney will be patient," Mason responded.

Donovan sighed before saying, "Objection overruled, but Mister Mason, you better connect this up quickly or I am going to sustain Mister Burger's objection."

Perry bowed and smiled. "Thank you, Your Honor, I intend to do that right now."

"Chief, exactly, what did you find in that book?" Mason inquired.

"Since Mister Bradley insisted there was an envelope in that book, we decided to see if there was any indication of it," Ironside began.

"And what did you find?"

"An indentation in one of the pages where the envelope had been pressed inside."

"What was that indentation?"

"It was the indentation of a safety deposit box key," Ironside reported.

"And what did you do next?"

"We checked with Amy Bradley. She told us that she went into the Wells Fargo bank with her mother, who removed the contents from the safety deposit box," Ironside said.

"Did Amy know what was in that box?" Mason inquired.

Hamilton Burger looked up with the judge and said, "Objection! Hearsay, not best evidence. Mister Mason should call Miss Bradley to the stand."

"I would prefer not to put the child through that," Perry disagreed. "We have on the stand a police detective with an impeccable record."

"Mister Burger, I am going to have to agree with the defense attorney. I do not want to place a child on the stand unless absolutely necessary. In this case, we do have a well-known police detective whose reputation cannot be questioned. I am going to allow Chief Ironside to testify as to what the child said."

"Your Honor!"

"Overruled," Donovan snarled at Burger.

Mason walked over to his brother and said, "Please tell the court what Amy told you."

"She said that her mother took a key out of the safety deposit box."

"Did she know what it was for?" Mason asked next.

Burger shook his head and stood up. "Objection, how could a child know what that key was for?"

"Sustained," the judge responded.

Perry was going to get this into the record regardless of Burger's objections. "All right then, Chief Ironside, did Amy say what her mother did with the key?"

"Yes. She said that she went to the airport and opened a locker there."

"And what did you do next?"

"I asked you to get a court order to open any locker in the name of Lawrence Bradley."

"Thank you, Chief Ironside." Mason turned to Burger and said, "Your witness."

Hamilton stood up and announced, "Since I do not see where this has anything to do with this case, I have no questions of this witness. In fact, I must ask that the entire line of questioning be stricken from the record as incompetent, irrelevant and immaterial. Mister Mason is on one of his famous fishing expeditions."

"We don't need your commentary in this courtroom," Donovan said sternly. "Mister Mason?"

"Your Honor, my next witness will show the relevance the district attorney is requesting," Mason told the judge.

"All right, counselor, but if it doesn't, I will sustain the prosecutor's objection."

Ironside wheeled away from the witness stand. He stopped momentarily by Perry Mason's table. Whispering to his brother, he said, "You got away with that one, Perry. I was not the one Della told of Amy's answers; you were. Della is the one that should have testified to that conversation."

Mason grinned. "Hamilton didn't ask who was the one that spoke to Amy. Ironside wheeled away from his brother, shaking his head.

"Mister Mason, call your next witness."

"The defense calls Paul Drake." Perry turned around to look to the back of the courtroom. His private eye stood up and came forward.

The silver-haired detective was sworn in and sat down. Mason approached him and said, "Mister Drake, you do the private investigating for my office, do you not?"

"I do."

"And what did you do after it was discovered Karen Bradley took another key out of the safety deposit box at Wells Fargo Bank?" Mason inquired.

"After you got a court order to open any locker at the airport in the name of Lawrence Bradley, you and I went to Los Angeles International Airport and discovered locker 365 was rented in Bradley's name," Paul testified.

"And what was found in that locker, Mister Drake?"

"A note that had been left for Lawrence Bradley," Paul answered.

"And do you have that note with you?" Perry asked.

"I do." Paul reached into his pocket and removed it from his suit coat.

"Please read the note, Mister Drake," Mason requested.

Before Paul could oblige him, Burger was again objecting. "Your Honor, Mister Mason is again fishing for information. This has nothing to do with this case." Burger wanted to stop his friend from muddying up the waters of the case, something Perry was very good at. Whenever he did not have a case, he reverted to confusing the issues.

Paul waited as he knew he could not read the note until the judge ruled on Burger's objection. Perry turned to the judge. "Your Honor, Mister Burger claims that my client killed his wife because he was obsessed with finding a medical treatment to get his daughter out of her wheelchair. That is not what this murder was about at all. It was about money, which I intend to prove."

"Can you prove that, Mister Mason," Judge Donovan asked.

"I believe I can, Your Honor," Perry answered.

"Since I believe in giving the defense a wide latitude to defend his or her client, I am going to overrule the objection. However, I will expect defense counsel to prove this was about money. Otherwise, I will be throwing out this entire testimony. Is that clear?"

Mason bowed slightly. "It is, Your Honor." Perry watched as an exasperated Hamilton Burger sat back down.

"Please read the note, Mister Drake," Perry insisted.

Drake adjusted the note for his failing eyesight and began reading:

 _Larry, I know this is an unusual way to give you inheritance money. However, I could not take the chance that someone else would find out where the money was and deprive Amy and you. I obtained this money through investments I made through the stock market. All of that doesn't matter now. I want Amy to have the best of care. I did it this way because, quite frankly, I do not trust Karen. I do not believe she cares about Amy. Nor, sadly do I trust Jill. I know that is a terrible thing to say about my daughter, but I am sure you have discovered it is the truth._ _I did not put any of the money in this locker on purpose. I was afraid that Karen would open the envelope that I gave you to hold until Amy's eighteenth birthday. If she had gotten a hold of the key, she could have cleared out this locker. So now I am going to tell you how you can get the money. Go right back to the bank that you found the key to this locker at. Safety deposit box 110 contains one million dollars in hundred dollar bills. It is the largest of all the safety deposit boxes in the bank. You will find that it is in the name of John Doe. You are listed as the co-owner of the safety deposit box. I have made arrangements with the Internal Revenue Service to pay all inheritance taxes on the money as well as the interest that the money would have received had it been deposited in the bank. Under normal circumstances, a bank would never allow you to put money in a safety-deposit box. However, the box will contain all of the legal paperwork that you will need. I know it is a highly unusual situation, but it helps to know someone in the Internal Revenue Service. What was done was not exactly kosher. I did make sure that you would never have any legal problems for what I have done._ _Please take care of little Amy. She is a wonderful little girl. Make sure Karen does not spend any of Amy's inheritance. And Larry, I know you would like to see Amy out of that wheelchair. Maybe someday there will be a procedure that will accomplish that. Never quit checking, but don't let it cloud your judgement where Amy is concerned either. I love you son, please don't think that I left you out of inheriting the money. I have explained how you may use some of the money on yourself. Yet, I know that you will never rob Amy of the money she will need do to her disability. I wish you and Amy the best, and always remember that I love you both. Dad._

The courtroom broke out in murmurs. The judge immediately silenced everyone with several bangs of his gavel. "Mister Mason, you may continue. The court is very interested in this development."

Perry glanced over at his courtroom adversary. Burger was stunned and he did not attempt to hide it. Mason could tell by his reaction that he had known nothing about this new evidence. Mason returned his attention to Paul Drake. Taking the note out of Drake's hand, he announced, "I would like this entered into evidence as defense exhibit F." The note was marked and stamped and handed back to Mason, who showed it to the judge. After scanning the note, Donovan gave it back to the attorney.

"Now, Mister Drake, was there a key in that locker?" Mason asked.

"Yes. Key number 110, just as the note said."

"And did you open locker number 110 at the Wells Fargo Bank?" Mason questioned the private eye?

"Yes, I went with you to the bank and we had it opened," Paul answered.

"And what was in it?"

"Nothing, there wasn't any money in the locker."

Burger was up again. "Now I must really object! Mister Mason said this is about money, but he just proved it wasn't, unless the money is invisible."

"Your Honor. My next witness will prove the money did indeed exist," Mason said immediately.

"Mister Mason, I have been patient, however, I am inclined to strike the entire testimony," Donovan said, wearily.

"I ask the court to wait on that ruling until it has heard the testimony of my next witness," Mason pleaded.

"Alright, Mister Mason, but if this witness doesn't prove the existence of the money as you claim, this testimony will be stricken from the record. The court's patience has been tried and worn thin. Is that clear?"

Mason smiled as he watched Burger sit down in a huff. "Very clear, Your Honor." He turned to Burger and said, "I turn this witness over to you."

Burger shook his head. "I can't cross-examine a fishing expedition."

"That will be enough, Mister Burger," the judge scolded. "Mister Mason call your next witness."

"The defense calls Albert Alfaro," Perry announced.

A short, thin man with a thick head of hair came forward and was sworn in. After he was seated, Mason approached. "Mister Alfaro, please tell the court what your occupation is."

"I am an Internal Revenue agent."

"And how did you come to be here today to testify?" Mason folded his hands together and rubbed them against each other.

"I received a call today from Chief Robert Ironside who asked to come to see me."

"What was it about?" Mason said.

"About a matter of one million dollars."

"Could that be the same million dollars that Amy Bradley's grandfather was talking about in that letter that was just read to the courtroom?"

"It is. You see, I knew Amy's grandfather well. He came to see me just before he died. He told me he had been keeping the money in a safety deposit box and he wanted to be sure his son would not suffer for him having hidden the money from the IRS."

"I see." Mason put both hands on the witness stand. What did you do?"

"As I told Chief Ironside, I made arrangements with him to pay all penalties and interest for the time the money was in the safety deposit box up to Amy's eighteenth birthday."

"That isn't exactly legal, now is it?" Mason said.

"No, but the IRS would not have been able to go after Joseph Bradley or his son as I got the IRS lawyer to sign off on it."

"And how did you do that?" Mason asked.

"The two that signed off on it have children in wheelchairs," Alfaro revealed.

"As do you, isn't that correct?" Mason said, removing his hands from the witness stand.

Alfaro looked down at his folded hands. "Yes, my daughter is thirty-five years old and has never known the ability to walk," he answered.

"The agreement you had Mister Bradley sign is not very legal is it?" Mason asked.

"No, but I will let the IRS sort that out. I will more than likely lose my job, but I don't care. I don't blame Joe for protecting his son and granddaughter from that money-grubbing Karen. She didn't care anything about Amy, only her money."

"Objection!" Burger shouted.

"Sustained!" Donovan ruled immediately. "Strike that last response."

Mason turned to the prosecutor. "Your witness, Mister Burger."

Burger could not see where he could break this testimony. He decided letting it stand was the only logical answer. "No questions."

Donovan looked down at the IRS agent and dismissed him. "Mister Mason, please call your next witness."

Ironside wheeled up to the defense table and indicated to Perry he wanted to talk to him. Mason turned back to the judge and requested, "May I have a moment, Your Honor."

"Go ahead Mister Mason," Donovan told him.

Perry went immediately to his brother as Drake joined them. "What is it, Bob?"

"I know who the killer is, thanks to Paul's investigative work," Ironside said.

Drake looked at the San Francisco detective in bewilderment. "You do? What did I do?"

"You came up with the clue that solves this case, that is if the killer cooperates," Ironside said.

"Mister Mason!" the judge called out.

"One moment, Your Honor," Mason said, without looking at the judge.

"Your moment is up, Counselor," the judge said sternly.

"Perry, just ask for a continuance," Ironside said.

Mason had no idea what his brother was talking about, but he decided to just trust him. He had never let him down before. Turning to the bench, he said, "Your Honor, new evidence has come to light. I ask for a continuance so that we may ready this evidence for presentation."

Burger stood up. "What evidence, Perry?"

"I will explain it to you if you will agree to a continuance," Mason said.

"Mister Burger?" Donovan inquired.

"I have no objection." Burger stared at Mason and Ironside, wondering what this new evidence was.

Donovan looked at his watch. It was only two o'clock. "Since this is Friday, we will adjourned and resume on Monday at nine o'clock. He banged his gavel and left the courtroom.

Burger went immediately over to Mason. "Okay, what is it, Perry?"

"Let's go back to Perry's office, and I will explain," Ironside said.

"Alright, I will meet you there," Burger said and left.

"It has been right there in front of us all along," Ironside said. "We have been looking in the wrong direction. We had the clue as to where the money is as soon as we found Joseph Bradley's note. Now all we have to do is set a trap for the murderer."

"Who's the murderer?" Della asked, confused.

Perry stared into his brother's eyes. Without answering Della, he smiled. "Of course! We should have figured this out sooner. Let's go set that trap!"


	23. Chapter 23

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 23

"Well, Hamilton," Mason said, "will you go along with this?"

Burger sighed. In cases like this, Mason never led him astray. He had convinced him that there was indeed a possibility that Lawrence Bradley was not the murderer. Burger had no desire to send an innocent man to his death. If Perry could provide evidence someone else killed Karen Bradley, Burger was more than willing to go listen. Mason always went after the real murderer when his client was innocent, which of course, was just about every case he had ever tried. The man was phenomenal at investigative deduction.

"All right, Perry. I will go along. If Lawrence Bradley is innocent, I certainly do not want to send him to jail for the rest of his life, or worse, the death penalty."

"He is innocent," Ironside insisted. "If you people would ever do what Perry does and look beyond the obvious, you would have known that."

Lieutenant Tragg, who had joined them, sighed. "I wish I had a quarter for every time I have heard that expression. I could retire from police work."

Perry and Della chuckled "Don't forget, Arthur, it was Perry looking beyond the obvious that cleared you of the murder charge of Angelo Devino."

"Forget, how could I ever forget?" He pointed at Mason. "He won't let me forget."

"Are we going to sit here all day and reminisce, or are we going to catch a killer?" Ironside growled. "I would like to return to San Francisco some time in this century."

"Considering it is still early in the century, Robert, you could stay for years," Della teased.

Perry laughed. "Let's go, gentlemen."

*

Jill Bradley wanted that money.. One million dollars! It was hers, and she had no intentions of allowing anybody else to have it. Why did she waste her time on that small trust fund. To think she had fought to get that money by trying to take custody of Larry's brat! She would have been saddled with the kid forever. Now, not only did she not have to put up with the cripple, she would have way more money than she ever dreamed. The problem was she had no idea where it was hidden.

As far as Amy was concerned, Robert Ironside could have the little brat. She wanted nothing to do with her. Jill only had one problem ... what was she going to do about Jason? She loved him, she knew that. The question was, did he love her or was he just trying to get his hands on the money? After all, he had an affair with Karen as well. He said that was just to get the money. Could he not be doing the same with her?

She was torn as to whether she should tell him she did not yet have the money. What would happen if she told him? If he loved her, it would not matter. She had a nagging feeling that it mattered a lot.

She had been hoping that Larry would be convicted of Karen's murder, but now she didn't care. He could have that small trust fund! She was going after the big money. Jill was going to leave this god-forsaken city and travel the world. There were so many places she wanted to see, Paris, London, Rome! She was born to be rich. Her father had left her out of his will, leaving everything to that brat! At least Larry did not get anything either. Why was Amy always the center of everything in this family? The kid was a useless cripple. What could she possibly do with all that money? She would be a burden for whoever had custody of her. They could not even get rid of her when she grew into an adult! She could have been stuck with that cripple!

Jill could not wait to spend all that beautiful money! Naturally, she would have to pace herself. She had to make it last the rest of her life. Maybe she would go to New York and live there. She could find a really good stockbroker who could invest it for her, insuring that she always had plenty of money to spend.

It had never entered her mind that her sister-in-law had to die in order for her to gain control of the money. She didn't care. Any woman stupid enough to marry her useless brother deserved what she got, even if it was murder. It did not make any difference to her, not one bit.

She wondered whether she should stick around for the end of the trial. Her brother was surely going to be convicted. Mason had put on plenty of razzle-dazzle, but he had not been able to prove that Larry did not kill Karen. Jill was no legal expert, but she could see that nothing had been discovered by Mason and Ironside that could help him.

Mason and Ironside ... that had to be the best part of the entire ordeal. She had outsmarted both of them. Those two men were considered the best lawyer and detective in the country, and neither one of them had a clue what happened. Jill began laughing. If they were considered to be so brilliant and smart, what did that make her? Well, she had no doubt that she was a genius compared to the famous brothers. They were so over-rated!

Now, she was back to Jason. What should she do about him? She loved him, but she didn't trust him. Maybe she could hold on to him by letting him have a little money at a time. After all, he could not continue to live the way he did unless he came up with some dough. That huge house of his cost money to maintain. The taxes on it had to be sky high. Furthermore, she knew Jason just could not keep from spending money.

The problem was getting him to divorce his wife. If he didn't love her, he would claim she would not give him a divorce. That was ridiculous, since in this day and age, anyone could get a divorce. Did he really think that she was that stupid? He said the divorce had been filed, but that didn't mean that he would go through with it. It was time she confronted him. If he really cared about her, he would not hesitate to divorce Cindy.

Jill made her decision. She would talk to Jason. Right now, she would not tell him about the million dollars. If he really loved her, the money would make no difference. The problem was, she was not certain that it didn't.

*

"Perry, you and Robert have spent very little time here," Minerva Mason complained. "It is not often Robert visits Los Angeles, and when he does, it is always on some case with you. I don't think asking the two of you to have dinner and spend the evening with your father and me is asking too much."

Della watched Perry. He was looking to her to rescue him from the situation, but she would not and never had interfered between Perry and his parents. No, it was up to him to handle it. Ironically, it was his brother that rescued him.

"Perry and I have set a trap to catch the real murderer of Karen Bradley. As much as I would love to sit here and eat another of your fabulous meals, this case is not over yet. We have a job to do tonight."

Amy became very excited. "Does that mean my daddy will come home very soon."

Ironside smiled at the little girl. Everyone in the room was amused how his tone soften when he talked to kids. "Yes, Amy. Your daddy will come home shortly. He should be released tonight, if everything goes as planned."

Amy turned her wheelchair towards the detective. "What if everything does not go right?"

William Mason stepped in and told her, "Everything is going to go just fine. You do trust Mister Mason and Chief Ironside, don't you, Amy?"

She looked at Mason and said, "I guess I trust Mister Mason, but he has not brought my father home yet." Then she turned her attention to Robert Ironside. A grin spread across her face. "But, even if Mister Mason can't bring him home, I know Chief Ironside will!"

Della almost laughed at the forlorn look that appeared on Perry's face. "I am the one that is defending your father in court."

Ironside all but snorted. "Yes, but I am the one out there finding the clues that is making it possible for you to win this case."

Mason turned and looked at his older brother. "What do you mean you are the one finding the clues? I have been out there just as much as you have been."

William Mason chuckled. "What would it have been like to raise these two boys under the same roof?" he said with a smile.

"I am not sure we would still have a roof," Minerva remarked.

Amy laughed along with the rest of them. "Chief, can I go with you tonight?"

Ironside shook his head. "I am sorry, Amy, but it might be dangerous. I think it would be better if you stayed here. Hopefully, when we come back, we will be able to bring your daddy with us."

She reached over to give the detective a hug. "I knew you would do it, I just knew you would!"

When Amy was done hugging Ironside, Perry bent down beside her. "What about me, don't I get a hug?"

The girl studied him for a minute as if she was trying to decide whether or not to give him a hug. Reaching over she grabbed him quickly and let go just as quickly. "That's all you get until you win my daddy's case."

Ironside grinned up at his brother, who was momentarily stunned. "Not everyone is impressed with shyster lawyers."

Before Perry could respond, William Mason stepped in so it did not escalate into a competition between his two sons. "Alright, you two go do what you have to do. We will hold dinner until you return with Amy's father."

Perry was about to say something when Della took him by the arm. "We better get going, Counselor." She smiled up at him and began pushing him towards the door.

*

Jill Bradley's emotions were up and down. She had to do something. After all, she was the legal heir to the money. It didn't matter to her that her father intended for the money to be used for Amy. Jill didn't care. She just wanted that money.

She had changed her mind. Once Larry was convicted, she would file for immediate custody of Amy. She wanted to let Ironside worry about what happened to the brat, but that was not practical. She could also gain the money from the trust fund. If she did not get to the million dollars, she would at least have the trust fund. Not one dime of that money would be wasted on that crippled kid of Larry's.

It was time she had it out with Jason. The only explanation for the missing money was Jason. He was the only other one who had Karen's confidence. If he had gotten to the money, then he knew where it was. She had no intentions of letting him get away with a million dollars!

She wanted the money and she was going to have it. She had already schemed and gone through much to get it. Perry Mason and Ironside may have muddied the waters concerning Larry's trial, but they had not proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Larry did not kill Karen. As soon as her brother was convicted, she would go to the nearest bar, buy a drink and celebrate.

Her brother had always been her father's favorite. She had grown an extreme hatred from him early on. She had always been treated as the outcast in their family. To her father, Larry was perfect. If he was so perfect, why then did he produce such an imperfect child?

Bradley pulled up in front of the building that contain the law office of prosecuting attorney, Hamilton Burger. After parking her car, she got out and went inside. Jill already knew where Burger's office was, having been there before.

She entered the outer office and approached his secretary. "I want to see Mister Burger."

Smiling at Bradley, the secretary replied, "I am sorry, but Mister Burger does not see anyone without an appointment. Would you like to make one?"

Frustrated and refusing to be deterred, Bradley raised her voice in anger. "I don't care whether I have an appointment or not, I have information for Mister Burger regarding Lawrence Bradley's trial. My name is Jill Bradley."

"Yes, Miss Bradley, I know who you are. If you will wait one moment, I will check to see if Mister Burger will see you."

"He better see me if he wants to convict my brother of murder!"

The secretary nodded and smiled. She had been told by Hamilton to put Jill Bradley off, but only for a moment. He had every intention of seeing her. If Perry was correct, he certainly did not want to convict an innocent man. However, Hamilton was unsure if Perry was right. The more he thought about it, the more confused he was whether Larry Bradley actually did kill his wife. However, Burger always believed in justice. If Perry was right, he would give him ample room to prove it.

After a brief call to Burger, the secretary stood up and told Jill Bradley to follow her. She led her to his office door, opened it and stood back. "Mister Burger will see you now."

Hamilton stood up as Jill Bradley walked into his office. "I am sorry, Miss Bradley. I failed to tell my secretary that I would see you if you came in. Now, tell me, what can I do for you?" I want to know where the trial stands as far as my brother is concerned."

"I am sorry, but I am not at liberty to discuss that," Burger told her, knowing fully well he was about to feed her with information.

"I don't think you understand. I have found out that there is more money involved than just Amy's trust fund. I believe that she is going to be cheated out of that money by Jason Thorsen."

"What money would that be?"

"You were in court, Mister Burger. You know fully well what I am talking about. Mason is trying to make sure that Amy does not receive that money."

Burger smiled. This was not exactly the tack he was expecting Jill Bradley to take. "Now, just exactly why would Mister Mason do that? After all, he is representing Lawrence Bradley. By extension, that would include Amy Bradley."

Jill Bradley rolled her eyes. "It is quite obvious, isn't it? Mason wants a chunk of that money for himself and his crippled brother. Maybe Larry has been able to influence him into thinking that Ironside has a chance of getting out of his wheelchair."

Burger had to hold back from out and out laughter. He knew unequivocally that Ironside's case was hopeless. He would never walk again; he would spend the remaining of his life in that wheelchair. Hamilton would play along with her though. "Do you really think so? Have you any evidence to back up your claim?"

Bradley shook her head back and forth as if she was talking to an imbecile. "Isn't it obvious? Ironside and Mason went into that locker at the airport and then went back to Wells Fargo Bank. I would think you could figure out that they are the ones that took the money."

Hamilton pretended to be considering what she had just told him. He hoped he was a good enough actor as he knew neither Perry nor his brother would ever steal money from anywhere. He did not want Jill Bradley to know how he really felt. "You may have something there. If that is the case, they must be in cahoots with Jason Thorsen because we know he knows where the money is."

Now, she was getting somewhere. She had been confident that she could trick Hamilton Burger into talking to her. "I just want to see Amy and Larry get the money."

"Oh, if that is your intention, you have nothing to worry about. After the reasonable doubt that Mason has brought up in court, I am certain that this case is going to be dismissed." He feigned disappointment. "When it is, Lawrence Bradley will be in charge of all of the funds that were left to his daughter."

The panicked look on her face was telling. Hamilton knew that she did not care one iota about her brother or his daughter. The only thing she cared about was getting her hands on Amy's money. Fortunately, that was not going to happen. "That's ... good to know," she stammered.

Hamilton stood up. He had planted the seed that Perry had requested. Now, they would wait to see what happened. "I appreciate you coming in, but I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. This case is going to be dismissed. Your brother and your niece will regain control of the money."

Jill Bradley stood up. She was stunned. This was not what she was expecting. She now had no choice but to go and see Jason to find out what he was up to.

*

Lieutenant Arthur Tragg pulled his car to a stop in front of Jason Thorsen's home. He took one look at the place and wondered how the man could maintain such a huge mansion. He hoped Hamilton knew what he was doing in cooperating with Mason. Although Jason Thorsen was a shady character, Tragg had no reason to believe that he had any idea where the one million dollars was. On the other hand, Mason did not normally lead them astray when he requested this type of help. In fact, he had to admit that not once had Mason been wrong when he asked for their cooperation.

The lieutenant approached Thorsen's door and knocked. It was opened almost immediately by Jason Thorsen. He looked Lieutenant Tragg up and down and finally asked, "Who are you?"

"Do you always answer your door that way?" The detective said sarcastically.

"I repeat, who are you?" The tone of Thorsen's voice was rude and demanding.

Tragg pulled out his detective's badge and shoved it in Thorsen's face. Ordinarily, he would be polite. This man had immediately rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't like him. Maybe Mason was right after all. "I would like to ask you a few questions."

"What about?"

Tragg looked past him into his house. "Why don't you let me in and I will tell you?"

"Why don't you ask your questions where you are standing?"

The lieutenant shook his head. This man didn't realize who had the upper hand. "Listen, mister, I can ask them inside or I can ask them down town. Make up your mind."

Thorsen didn't have time for this, but he knew he had no choice. The quicker he could get this cop out of here, the better. He stepped back and open the door. With an exaggerated sweep of his hand, he reluctantly invited Arthur Tragg into his house.

The detective was led into his study. Thorsen did not invite him to sit down. However, he went around his desk and sat down himself. "Now, ask your questions and then get the hell out of here. I am a busy man."

Tragg, who almost always wore a hat, took it off his head and set it down on Thorsen's desk. He caught the look of disapproval from the former doctor. At this point, he didn't care whether Thorsen liked it or not. He looked behind him, grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the desk.

"I would appreciate it if you would be more careful. The chair is very expensive," Thorsen snarled at him.

"It looks like everything in this house is rather expensive. However, in checking on your background, you don't appear to have the income to support such an expensive lifestyle."

"Actually, Officer ... "

"Lieutenant," Tragg corrected him.

Sighing in exasperation, Thorsen countered, "You don't know what you are talking about, Lieutenant. My investment firm makes plenty of money."

"What do you take me as? An idiot? I don't make statements, unless I know what I am talking about. Your investment firm was in Karen Bradley's name. You were getting your money from Amy Bradley's trust while you were romancing Karen Bradley behind Lawrence Bradley's back. Perry Mason found that out with little trouble. You started out with Jill Bradley in order to get close to Karen. Now that Karen Bradley is out of the picture, you are back to Jill."

"I suggest you ask your questions and get the hell out of here. Otherwise, I am going to file a complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department."

Lieutenant Tragg smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a form. Throwing it on Thorsen's desk, he said, "You will need to fill out that form to file your complaint." He said nothing else as he watched the expression on Jason's face.

Thorsen looked at Tragg with disgust. "Either ask your questions or get out."

"Well, you see, I was just wondering where that million dollars is."

"Just exactly how the hell would I know that?"

"Oh, you don't know? Apparently, Jill Bradley knows. But then, you know that." Tragg continued to toy with him.

Jason said nothing. He just stared at the lieutenant. He was not about to let him know that Jill had told him she had possession of the money. Jason knew exactly where the money was.

"By the way, Perry Mason and Robert Ironside also know where the money is. They will have a court order by seven o'clock tonight to pick it up. You see, Jill Bradley was careless. She led them to it, despite the fact that she really doesn't have the money."

The expression on Jason Thorsen's face turn to shock. Arthur Tragg was not completely sure whether it was because he said Jill Bradley didn't have the money, or whether Thorsen was worried about Mason and Ironside knowing where it was.

Jason had to get the money before Mason and Ironside got to it. If they did, it would be lost to him forever. Mason was an attorney, and a damn good one. He would make certain that only Amy Bradley would get that money. What would a crippled kid do with a million dollars? The more he thought about it, Jill Bradley would be the one to control the money. With Lawrence Bradley in prison, she would be Amy's next of kin.

"If you are so certain that I had an affair with Jill Bradley ... "

"Not exactly so certain," the detective interrupted, "more like absolutely positive. Mason and Ironside proved that."

"For the sake of argument, let's say you are right. Why tell me this? You seem to be forgetting that once Lawrence Bradley is convicted, Jill Bradley will control that money as Amy's next of kin."

"Oh for cripes sakes, Lawrence Bradley is not going to be convicted of anything! Mason has provided enough reasonable doubt, that the judge is going to throw it out of court. Hamilton Burger knows that. He told me earlier today that he is going to drop the charges. There is just not enough evidence to bind him over to trial. I doubt that Burger will take this any further. No, Lawrence Bradley is as good as free right now."

Jason Thorsen's face turned pale. It was clear he was not expecting this. Tragg was now more convinced than ever that Mason and Ironside had been correct all along. Lawrence Bradley did not kill his wife. His own peculiar behavior regarding his daughter was what got him in trouble. He had been framed for the murder; Tragg was now certain of it. He felt much better about the entire situation. As always, when Mason was right and his client was innocent, Tragg would do everything to help him nail the real killer. That was Mason's special talent. He defended the innocent and helped nail the guilty.

Tragg had accomplished everything that Mason wanted. It had been easy. It was time to let Thorsen panic. He had no doubt that he would. The detective stood up and headed towards the door. Turning back, he said, "Thank you for your time, Doctor. Oh, I am sorry. You are not a doctor any more, are you?" Tragg had his signature smirk on his face. Not bothering to even look at Thorsen, the lieutenant left his study and went out the front door of his house.

Tragg got into his car, turned on the motor and drove down the street before parking it once again. Glancing out his rear-view mirror, he watched as Thorsen ran out of the house, got in his car and drove away.

He would never tell Mason, but sometimes he marveled at the ingenuity of the lawyer. He had called this one right on.

Jason Thorsen slammed on the breaks in front of Jill Bradley's house. He had considered using a gun to threaten her with, but decided it was a bad idea. In the state of mind he was in, he just might use it. He got out of the car, ran up the sidewalk and pounded on the door. "Open this door, Jill! Now!"

After pounding on the door several more times, it opened. "Good grief, Jason, you scared me half to death. What's wrong with you? Are you incapable of just knocking like a normal person?"

He pushed his way into her house. "We are going to have a talk." He headed directly into her living room. Pacing back and forth to get his temper under control, he said nothing.

Jill watched him for a few minutes before her impatience got the better of her. "Well? Are you going to tell me why you came here screaming like a maniac? Or do you just plan on wearing a hole in my rug?"

"Where is it?" he snarled.

"Where is what?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"You know damn well what I am talking about; where is the money?"

"Ohhhh, yes, the money. I should have known."

"Where is it? You are not going to get away with it, Jill. Half of that money is mine, and I want it. You are going to produce it and now!"

"You're crazy. I am not going to do any such thing. That money is no more yours than it is mine. We are stealing it, my dear, or have you forgotten?" She had to put him off. She had no idea where it was. She had tried to find it with no success. If Burger was right, they had to find it and immediately. Otherwise, as soon as Larry got out of jail, the damn lawyer was going to give it to him. She turned her back on Thorsen so he would not see her face. She was having trouble controlling her concern; he just might read it in her expression.

Jason grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back towards him. "I will beat the hell out of you if you don't start talking. Where is the money?"

Jill grabbed the hand that was pulling her hair. Her scalp was painful under the tugging. "Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me where the money is!" he yelled.

"I will tell you the truth. I don't know where the money is! I lied when I said I did. I was afraid I would lose you if there was no money."

Thorsen let go of her, stunned at her revelation. "If you are lying to me, I'll kill you."

"I am not lying," she said, taking a step back from him. "I don't know where it is. It was not in the locker at the airport or the safety deposit box at the bank." She stared at the man she thought she loved. He didn't care anything about her; she knew that now. It had always been about the money. "I thought you loved me." She looked at him and spoke in a very low tone.

Thorsen looked at her. He threw his head back and laughed. "You stupid bitch! What would I want with you? You have nothing, you are nothing."

The tears began to form in her eyes. How could she have been so wrong about him? To think what she had already done for him. She would have shared the trust fund and the million dollars with him. They could have gone away together; gotten out of this city, away from Mason and Ironside. Now she did not have the money or the man. He was right about one thing, she had nothing.

He stood there looking at her. "Mason Ironside know where the money is."

"So what. What good does that do? They won't give it to us. They will give it to Larry."

"Not if we take it from them."

"Burger said they know where the money is. They have probably picked it up already," she said.

Jason shook his head. "I don't think so. I had a visit from Lieutenant Tragg. He said Mason and Ironside were going to get a court order to pick it up."

"See, I told you doesn't matter anymore. They have the money."

"Not yet, they don't. Tragg said they were picking it up tonight. All we have to do is follow them. We can take it from them."

Jill's eyes widen. "Oh sure, they are just going to hand it over if you ask nicely."

"Don't be stupid. We are going to take it from them."

"We?"

"You want the money don't you?"

She looked at him, trying to determine what he was up to. "You are willing to share it?"

"If you help get it, we will divide it. I will give you half the money. But, get one thing straight; once we divide the money, we go our separate ways. I don't want to see you again."

Jill had to keep from allowing the tears to spill from her eyes. This man had used her in the worst way. She knew now that he never cared anything about her. The money, that is all he ever wanted. Well, the money was better than nothing. "Alright, but how are we supposed to know where Mason and Ironside are going to pick up the money?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "We follow them, how else genius?"

"Perry, I want to go with you," Della said as she stood in front of his desk.

Mason was afraid what they had planned could be dangerous. He did not want Della anywhere near the scene. Despite his feelings, he knew that she was not going to give up easily. "You know what Bob is going to say about that."

"Since when have you allowed Robert to decide whether I could come along or not?" She stood there with her hands on her hips.

The phone rang saving Perry from answering her, if only temporarily. She walked over and picked it up. "Yes, Gertie." She listened for a moment and then said, "Send them in." After hanging up the phone, she looked at Perry and informed him, "Robert and Arthur are here."

The door to the office opened. Robert Ironside put both hands on each side of the doorframe and pulled his wheelchair into Perry's office. Arthur Tragg followed him in.

Perry stood up to greet them. "You gentlemen are early. I was not expecting you for another hour."

"Well, our subject is already following, just as you predicted," Tragg said. "We might as well get started."

"We are waiting for Paul and Hamilton," Mason reminded him.

Drake's code knock sounded on the door. Della walked over and let him in. Hamilton Burger came in behind him. "Hello, Beautiful," Paul said, smiling at her.

"Hi, Paul."

"You made sure you were not seen coming in?" Ironside questioned.

Perry had to hold back a smile. The look on Paul's face was priceless. Obviously, he did not like Ironside's question. Drake was a professional private detective as good as any police detective out there. He often anticipated what Perry wanted without being told. Still, he knew Paul would handle his brother just fine

Yes, Chief. No one saw us come in. They are only following the people we want them to follow."

"Then everything is in place?" Ironside inquired.

"Relax, Chief," Tragg said. "We are handling it exactly as you and Perry requested.

"Well then, what are we standing around here for?" Ironside bellowed as he headed for Perry's office door.

Della looked anxiously over at Perry. "You didn't answer me," she said

"Della, this could be dangerous."

Ironside heard the conversation and turned his chair back towards his brother. "I don't believe it! You finally told her no."

"Quite frankly, I didn't want to argue with you," Mason explained.

Ironside grinned and then addressed Della Street. "Come on Della. You can come. Just stay with Burger and Tragg.

Perry gave Ironside an exasperated look. When he turned his attention to Della, he saw her raise her eyebrows and smile at him. "I give up!" he said, throwing his hands in the air.


	24. Chapter 24

The Case of the Missing Detective

Chapter 24

Jason and Jill waited outside the Brent Building. They had followed Ironside and Tragg to Mason's office parking lot. Jill had sat in silence as they watched Ironside and Tragg leave their vehicles in the parking garage. She was still wondering who the man was that entered the building with the cripple. Finally, curiosity got the best of her. "Who was the man with Ironside?"

"He's a police detective, Lieutenant Tragg. He is the one that came to my house and told me Ironside and Mason were getting a court order to pick up the money," Thorsen answered.

That sent up red flags for Jill. "Doesn't that bother you? Sounds to me like he is helping Ironside and Mason."

"You worry too much."

"Oh really?" Her tone was sarcastic with a touch of anger. "Why would they be bringing in a police detective simply to pick up the money? They have Ironside. He's a cop. He must carry a gun."

Thorsen would be so glad to get rid of the woman. No wonder her own father and brother could not stand her. "Ironside is a cripple. Who the hell would depend on him to protect them?"

"I got news for you, Jason. Ironside is known for getting out of dangerous situations unharmed, not to mention he is an excellent marksman."

"Been reading up on him, huh?" Jason laughed at her which only increased her annoyance with him.

"Has it occurred to you that Tragg will shoot back?"

He could easily detect the sarcasm in her voice. Jason reached into his pocket. Pulling out an extra gun he had brought along, he handed it to her. "I trust you know how to use that?"

"Of course, I do."

"Good, because you are going to approach them from behind. Point the gun at them and demand the money once they have retrieved it. If they have anyone there to stop you, I will back you up and we will take the money from them."

"That's your plan?"

"Relax. I have a plan for getting away as well. Let's just get the money first. After we get away, we will split it."

"Fifty-Fifty," Jill reminded him.

"Yes, fifty-fifty. Will you just calm down. I am not going to cheat you. Five-hundred-thousand will last me a long time before I have to find another Karen … or Jill," he said with a smirk.

Jill raised a hand to slap his face, but he was too fast for her. He grabbed her wrist and threw it back. "Don't try that again or I will shoot you and keep all the money. Believe me, I would have no problem killing you."

"Oh, I know that. You have already killed," she snarled at him.

"If you say so," Jason said with another smirk.

Their argument ended when they spotted Ironside and Mason coming out of the building. "There they are," Jason said, pointing at them. The motor on his vehicle was already running. He glanced back at Jill. He had to keep from laughing at the dumb bitch. He had no intentions of stepping in. Let her be the one to get arrested if this went bad. He just wanted money, but it had to be easy money. He was not going to get involved.

They watched as Ironside raised his voice. "Come on, Lieutenant, do your flaming job! We need another cop along to guard the money."

"You will have to get the money yourself. Don't you think by now, Burger and I are used to Mason's courtroom parlor tricks? This case may be dismissed, but we certainly are not going to help you get a murderer off. We will take our chances. Maybe Burger will get the case bound over. You are on your own, I am going home." Tragg got in his vehicle and drove off.

"Damn it!" Ironside cursed.

"Forget it, Bob. We will pick up the money ourselves. Come on, I will help you get into the car."

Jason grinned. "See, no Tragg! This is going to be like taking candy from a baby." They waited while Mason helped Ironside into the vehicle. Once the detective was safely in the passenger side, Mason shut the door, went around his Cadillac and got behind the wheel. The engine roared to life, and Mason backed out of the parking spot assigned to him.

Ironside watched his rear-view mirror. Mason checked his and then said to his brother, "Are they behind us?"

"Following at a very discreet distance, but they are there," the chief answered.

They continued on with Mason deliberately making twists and turns to make sure their tail was still back there. Thorsen did not disappoint them. He stuck with them. They arrived at the train station. Ironside looked around. He didn't like it. There were far too many people in the station.

"I thought this was supposed to be between trains leaving the station?" he said to Perry.

"Unfortunately, there has been a train derailment. It caused delays. Tragg put on extra plain-clothed officers, and Paul has several men here as well. Don't worry, Bob, the money is in the women's bathroom hidden at the bottom of the wastebasket. Tragg already found it. We have a female detective watching for Thorsen and Bradley. It will go smoothly. After all, this was all your idea."

"It is our idea, we both came up with it and agreed on it." Ironside snarled.

"You are armed, right?" Perry knew he would be, but he just couldn't help it. He loved to get under his brother's skin. Ironside gave him one of those looks that he gave his staff when he thought they had said something stupid.

When they arrived at the train station, Mason parked his vehicle in a handicapped parking spot. Ironside handed over the handicap plastic and hung it over the rearview mirror.

The lawyer got out of the car and went around to the passenger side. Opening the back door, he pulled Ironside's wheelchair out and opened it. Locking the wheels, he then opened the door and helped his brother into his wheelchair. He stepped behind his chair, unlocked the wheels and began wheeling him toward the back of the station where the bathrooms were. What looked like a bag lady, a female police officer was sitting on the floor in torn and beat up clothes. Both Ironside and Mason ignored her and continued towards the bathroom. Mason looked around to make sure that there wasn't anybody around before he opened the door and wheeled his brother in. He went directly over to the trash can, took off the top and pulled the papers and trash out. At the bottom of the trash can was a plastic sheet. It had obviously been there to fool whoever cleaned the bathroom into believing they had reached the bottom of the trash can. He struggled to remove it, but was successful. Obviously the murderer would not want it to come out when a janitor tipped the trash can upside down.

Mason yanked at a large box that was wedged perfectly in the trash can. It would not have moved when the basket was tipped. Again, he had trouble getting it out. When he did, he handed the box to his brother.

The door to the bathroom opened and Jill Bradley stepped inside. She was holding a revolver in her hand. Pointing it directly at Mason and Ironside, she said, "I will take that, gentlemen. I appreciate you finding my money."

"It is not your money, Miss Bradley. The money belongs to Amy," Ironside told her.

"Well, Chief Ironside, we will make a trade. I will take the money and you can have Amy. By the way, if my brother does not get off, just stick her in some kind of a home. She is useless anyway."

"She is a far better human being than you ever will be," Ironside growled.

She laughed at him. "Just give me the money, and I am out of here. If you try to follow me, I will shoot and kill anybody in my way. That means passengers waiting to board trains."

The door to the bathroom opened and Paul Drake stepped inside. "I suggest you give that back to Chief Ironside."

Jill looked behind her and saw the tall private eye holding a gun on her. "I should have known. However, I was prepared for you, Mister Drake." She gave the box back to Ironside just in case Jason betrayed her.

Once again, the bathroom door opened and Jason Thorsen stepped in with a gun of his own. In the end, he could not walk away from one million dollars. "Drop the gun, Drake. That is if you prefer to keep living."

Paul did as he was told as he knew this was exactly going as planned.

"You won't get away with this, Mister Thorsen," Mason said.

"That's what you think, Mason. We have our escape route and we will be leaving. So hand over that box."

Once again the box changed hands. Jill took it and said to Jason, "Let's get out of here."

"You are not going anywhere." Everyone turned to look as the bathroom door opened once more. Jason and Jill turn to see Cindy Morgenstein standing there with a gun.

"Bob, it is getting quite crowded in here," Mason said.

"What are you doing here?" Jason snarled at his wife.

"Well, you see, Jason. I decided not to allow you to cheat me out of the money. You are no good and I should have realized it. When you sent me out of that house that you bought with my money, I decided I was not going to live like a pauper for the rest of my life because of you.

"I did not realize that I knew where the money was. However, since I had the key, I decided it was time to find out what the key was to. I was awfully disappointed when I discovered there wasn't any money in that locker at the airport. After fumbling around inside it, I found the letter Amy's grandfather left for his son. I picked up the money and I brought it here. I intended to leave it here until things died down. Unfortunately, you forced my hand to come after it. You see, I had more than one key to your house. I had a bug placed in your study. That's how I found out that Mason and Ironside were coming after the money. I knew you and your lover would follow them. So all I had to do was follow you in order to arrive after you did."

"How did you get hold of the key?" Mason asked, although he already knew.

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters a lot," Ironside said. "Since you are the one that murdered Karen Bradley."

"You see, we knew from the beginning that it wasn't a man that had murdered her. Although the individual on the video could not be identified, the murderer was certainly too small to be Lawrence Bradley. Unfortunately, since it wasn't conclusive, and you were smart enough to use Lawrence Bradley's cufflinks, we couldn't prove it," Perry continued for his brother.

"When we found you in Lawrence Bradley's study, we knew you were looking for something. It wasn't the key, you already had it," Ironside said. "We had Paul check into your relationship with Karen Bradley. You lied. You were not friends at all. You were not looking for anything that she borrowed, so we had Paul go back there and go over every inch of the place."

Mason took over. "What you were looking for was this." Perry reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet. He turned it inside out. "To Cindy, Love Jay," he read.

"You didn't realize that you must have caught it on the alarm system when you blocked out portions of the house. It fell under the desk and hooked on a screw that helped hold the side piece of the desk in place," Ironside said.

"You killed Karen Bradley and framed Lawrence Bradley for the murder," Perry said.

Cindy Morganstein stood there in awe of the two men. She thought she had committed the perfect murder, yet these two had figured it all out.

"Why?" Paul asked. "Why did you do it?" Perry and Ironside had laid it all out, but they needed a confession.

She turned to look at Drake. "She took Jay away from me. She was having an affair with him. He was going to leave me for her and the money. I could not allow that."

"Why not kill Thorsen? Why Karen Bradley?" Perry asked.

Ironside knew Perry already had figured that out. "Because she didn't want her to have him."

Tears appeared in Cindy's eyes. "I gave up everything for him … everything. He took every dime I had. She deserved to die. I don't regret killing her." She looked over at Jason. "Oh, you are not going to get away with it either." She turned her gun on him. "I had every intention of killing you, but I had to wait until the cops quit hanging around you. I have transportation waiting to leave the country. So I will take that box now and then I am going to kill you, Jason."

"If you mean that private plane, Mrs. Morganstein, Chief Ironside had it cancelled," Perry told her.

"Then at least I will know you paid for what you did, Jason!" She pointed the gun at the middle of his chest.

The door to the bathroom opened and Lieutenant Tragg, Hamilton Burger and Della Street stepped in. "Drop the gun, Mrs. Morganstein."

Realizing it was over, Cindy was determined to shoot Thorsen, however she had not noticed Robert Ironside had pulled a gun from his suitcoat pocket. He aimed at Cindy's gun hand and pulled the trigger. She screamed and dropped the gun as the bullet entered her hand.

Tragg moved in, as did Paul. Drake picked up his gun and the one Morganstein had just dropped. When Jason Thorsen made a dash for the door, Drake put out his foot and tripped him. "I am afraid you are not going anywhere, Thorsen."

"I trust you have enough officers to put these people under arrest," Ironside said.

"No, I thought I would forego the arrests, take them all out to dinner and have a party," Tragg said sarcastically. He shook his head at the San Francisco detective. Did he think he was a rookie?

Perry grinned, but wiped it off his face when he saw the look Bob was giving him.

"In that case, would you mind reading them their rights outside? If anyone else comes in here, we are going to have to start stuffing them in the stalls," Ironside said, his voice dripping with every bit as much sarcasm as Tragg had just delivered.

Perry went over and joined Della. "I don't know which one of them is more sarcastic."

Della smiled and said, "I would hate to have to live on the difference." Perry chuckled.

Hamilton Burger joined them. "Thanks, Perry. I will have the charges dropped in the morning. You can pick your client up then."

"He didn't solve this alone," Ironside snarled, "and how about dropping the charges tonight. Contact the judge. There is a little girl waiting for her father to come home."

Hamilton smiled. "Alright, Chief, but you are going with me. You can take the brunt of his wrath. He hates being disturbed after hours."

Perry put his arm around Della's waist and led her out of the bathroom. He was looking forward to some down time with her. Candlelight, a nice dinner and making love. Unfortunately, his parents had other plans.

*

The door to the Mason's home opened. Perry Mason, Robert Ironside and Della Street came in. Amy wheeled over to them. She let out a squeal when she saw her father come in behind them. He hurried over to her and took the child in his arms. Father and daughter cried as everyone watched the reunion between them.

"Is it over?" Amy asked.

"It's over, baby," he said, hugging her to him. Her father wiped her tears away. "Why don't we go home?"

"Della and I are going to head out too." Mason took her elbow to head for the door.

"Just a minute, all of you. Perry, you and Della are not going anywhere. Your mother has prepared dinner for everyone. Amy, you and your father are invited to stay as well," William Mason said.

Perry whispered in Della's ear, "I guess romance will have to wait."

She looked up into his blue eyes. "Doesn't it always?"

Once everyone was settled around the table, Lawrence Bradley asked his lawyer," What put you on to Cindy Morganstein?"

"We found her searching your study. She gave us a lame excuse she was looking for something Karen had borrowed from her."

"They did not even know each other," Larry said.

"That is what Paul found out," Ironside said. "It made sense that she was the only one that could have found that key. Jill Bradley would not have fought for custody of Amy and her trust fund if she had the million dollars."

"And Jason Thorsen had to depend on her to find the money once Karen was dead," Perry said.

"So it centered around what she was looking for that day. We sent Paul into your house and told him to search every part of it," Ironside told him.

Perry told him about the bracelet. "The problem was we could prove it was hers, but we could not place her in that house at the time of the murder. So we needed the confession."

Ironside then told him, "We decided the greed of Thorsen and your sister would help us nail Cindy Morgenstein. Lieutenant Tragg and Hamilton Burger agreed to help. They planted the idea in their head that we were going to get to the money first. Cindy Morganstein knew that we were going after the money from the bug in her husband's house, which by the way, Paul found."

"So, we knew she would follow those two, wanting to come in after them to surprise them and take the money. What none of them planned on was the police coming in behind them," Della said.

"Exactly," Perry agreed.

"So what happens to all that money?" Larry asked. "It will be turned over to the Internal Revenue Service, won't it?"

"Actually, I have been working on that. The taxes on the money will have to be paid as well as penalties, but once that is taken out, you and Amy will get the rest. After all, your father did obtain the money legally, he just didn't report it," Perry told him.

"Mister Mason, I can't thank you enough for what you and Chief Ironside have done. Obviously, I will be able to afford your bill. You just send it to me and it will be paid immediately," Bradley told him. He noticed Ironside was staring at him.

Larry lowered his head. "Chief, I am truly sorry for what I did. I hope you can forgive me. I really thought I was doing what was best for Amy. I appreciate that you stepped in to help me after I kidnapped you. Exactly, how much trouble am I in."

"You are in plenty, mister," Ironside said gruffly.

Perry and Della smiled. They both knew what was coming.

"I have not pressed charges yet, but I will if … "

"If what, Chief?" he asked.

"If you don't stop this obsession with getting Amy out of that chair. Keep checking on new procedures, there may be one that will work someday, but don't let it cloud your thinking. Amy has learned much about that chair while you were in jail."

"Yes, Daddy! Chief Ironside taught me how to hop a curb to cross the street. He taught me to get in and out of bed, carry my own dishes and he even taught me how to dress myself and put on my own shoes!" Amy told him excitedly.

Larry smiled at his daughter. "And you will do much more for yourself, I promise." He looked over at the detective in the wheelchair. "I realize now that I was more of a cripple than either of you. Things will be different from here on out, Chief."

"That is good enough for me. I am sure Perry can help you with whatever legal trouble you may still be in."

The detective felt Amy's little hand slip into his. "I will never forget you, Chief Ironside. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my father."

Ironside bent down and kissed the little girl. "You will not forget me because you are going to keep in touch with me."

"You really want me to?"

"You bet I do. How else will I know if your father is behaving himself? You and I have to make sure he does."

Della squeezed Perry's hand. Robert had such a way with kids, just like Perry did. "When will you be returning home, Robert?"

"I thought we would all spend the day together tomorrow and I can fly home the next day"

"Well, I suppose Della and I can take the day off," Perry said. "However, tonight we are headed home. Amy, you make sure Chief Ironside behaves himself and I'll see you tomorrow."

The little girl squealed with delight at the thought of making sure the chief behaved himself. She still had not removed her hand from his. Her other hand was inside of her daddy's.

William in Minerva Mason walked to the door with Perry and Della, and Lawrence and Amy Bradley. Both of them bent down and kissed Amy goodbye. Amy and her father thanked the Masons for allowing her to stay with them. The Masons invited both of them to come back anytime.

*

Back at Perry's apartment, he and Della walked down the hall to the bedroom with an arm around each other's waist. When they entered, Perry began kissing Della and the two started undressing each other. He guided her backwards, threw back the covers and gently pushed her onto the bed. Sliding in beside her, Perry kissed her deeply and moved to her neck.

As he nibbled on her ear, Della moaned. "That's nice, counselor."

He stopped and looked into her hazel eyes. "Just think, this time we are not going to be interrupted by my brother."

The phone rang beside them. Perry and Della looked at each other. "You don't suppose?" Della said.

"I don't know and I have no intentions of finding out." He picked up the receiver, dropped it back in place and turned off the ringer. Reaching over, he shut the light out.

Della chuckled, reached up, put her hand behind Perry's neck and pulled him down into a passionate kiss. Tonight Perry was all hers. No cases, no clients, no murders and no Robert Ironside.

The End

*I do not own the Ironside or Perry Mason characters. They are the creation of Collier Young and Erle Stanley Gardner. I do not have any legal training and hope that you will take this for what it is intended, pure entertainment for Ironside and Perry Mason fans. Hope you enjoyed the story and thanks to those of you who read and reviewed.

Thank you to JourneyThroughTime for proof in getting this story ready for publishing. Another Perry Mason/Ironside crossover is in the works.

Kathleen

Kaleen1212


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